Unschool, Homeschool or Worldschool?

Unschool, Homeschool or Worldschool?

There's a whole alternative education world that not many parents or children are familiar with. With this alternative world comes various different methods and forms of education that you may not have heard of. 

As expatriates, having to move, work and educate abroad in different countries is perhaps a more common thing that many of our friends. And we all know how painful it can be to find a suitable place for your child(ren) in a great school in your new country, city or town. 

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Here's an idea: ignore the school system. 

Instead, why not adopt one of these alternate methods to educating your children that may well, and you never know, provide them with a better education and understanding of the world than they would gain in the four walls of a classroom. 

But first things first, what does each mean?

Unschooling is a term that means interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic or self-directed learning. This method allows a child as much freedom to learn in the world, as their parents can comfortably bear. Unschooling involves a complete rejection of the school system, and instills trust in a child to learn through their own curiosity and interests at whatever pace they prefer and develop naturally. 

SEE ALSO: Talk schools and education on our forum

Homeschooling is doing what they do in school, at home, to be put quite simply. It is done often with an intention to reinstate the child back into the school system at any point in their future, allowing them to take exams if and when needed. Families may choose to homeschool for lots of different reasons, including different religious beliefs, educational philsophies or a dissatisfaction with the educational options available around their home. 

Worldschooling is somewhat difficult to define. Some find it a more descriptive and positive version of the term "unschooling" that can apply to anyone even those beyond school age. It effectively means that the whole world is your school; it's when a child or individual actively experiences and learns from the world around them, including the home, family, friends, strangers of all backgrounds, parks, sports, forests, schools, towns and everything else surrounding them.

A lot of people association worldschooling with the travelling lifestyle, however this isn't necessarily needed, as worldschooling can be followed wherever you may be.