We get lots of questions about Homeschooling all of the time – from comments on our facebook fan page, to even emails that are sent regards what to do for Homeschooling, how many hours it takes us to homeschooling to even what system we like to use.
Instead of re-answering questions we thought we would ask a fellow traveller who was homeschooled while travelling with her Mum many years ago about her ideas/thoughts and share Children Their World Their Education!
What about their education?
By Sarah Pye
“Schooling and education are not synonymous,” schoolteacher, Margaret Pye wrote in an article published in 1981 in a sailing magazine. She should know after ‘boat schooling’ two teenagers. Margaret is my mother and I was one of those children. In 1979 our family set out from England on a journey of discovery.
So how did the decisions my parents made all those years ago affect the lives of us, their kids? Do we laud our parents or curse them? Was the experiment worthwhile? What did we gain and what did we miss?
Making the decision
“You will need to do a lot of careful planning if your venture is to succeed,” my Mum wrote.
“To take teenagers away from their friends, sports teams, clubs, their own bedrooms and all the material comforts of a family house is asking a great deal of them.”
I remember my parents sitting us down and tactfully asking us if we would like to live on a boat and go sailing. Before they even finished explaining it meant leaving home, my brother and I jumped at the idea. Perhaps we were unusual kids, but the wide world beckoned and we felt ready for the adventure.
Careful planning
In the year leading up to departure we hunted for an appropriate boat. To prepare for life in a small space our family moved from a six bedroom home to a two bedroom cottage. We held a jumble sale and liberated ourselves from the majority of our worldly possessions. The decrepit piano was taken away for about $10 and our beds disappeared out the door.
What to take?
The few remaining possessions we each had fit neatly into one personal storage locker. In gaps and crevices we squashed a guitar, violin, clarinet, bongo drums, Tamborine and several recorders. Music, as it turned out, was to be our main form of entertainment.
Setting off
On a chilly April Fool’s day in 1979 my mother, father, 11-year-old brother and I finally cast off. Eight years, and many adventures later I found myself leaving our floating home in the Caribbean to attend U.S. university. During that time the majority of education was conducted by our parents, and the world around us.
Teaching kids on the road
There are as many different methods of teaching children as there are kids. Do you choose to travel to exotic destinations and stay while they attend international schools? Do you sign up for correspondence courses on online learning? Or, as my parents chose, do you decide to tackle the challenge yourself?
Here Is How Children Their World Their Education Worked ::
Our lessons were flexible and varied because our parents thought it better to learn from the world around us than to miss the experiences while our heads were down in a text book. When in Spain we learned the rudiments of Spanish language, tackled the monetary system and learned the history of the Spanish Civil War. When at sea the ocean became our classroom: we dragged aboard smelly sargassum weed to discover the creatures that called it home; learned how to handle a sextant and held two hour night watches on our own. All the while we kept illustrated and detailed logbooks which are our treasures to this day.
Dreaded teens
Handling teenagers was not always plain sailing, and I now understand as my own daughter nears that age.
“Adolescent moodiness and antagonisms demand just as much parental patience as they do on land,” my Mother said.
“The secret is to work as a team keep rules to a minimum and treat your teenage crew members, as far as possible, as equal members of the group.”
An advantage or a hindrance?
Perhaps the biggest question you might have is whether a home school experience will benefit your children in the long run. I was lucky to have two teachers as parents who, without the aid of correspondence, internet, or remote learning courses, moulded my brother and me into well rounded teens who grew to be successful in their chosen fields. Did travelling hinder our chances in life as concerned relatives worried? Who knows what we would have become if we had stayed in England, but our lives are rich and exciting 33 years on.
Looking Back On Their World Their Education!
At the age of 17 Chris left the boat to study drama in New York. He went on to work on the stage in London, achieve his Master’s degree as a counsellor and now works in that field in Brisbane. He recently ran all the way from Brisbane to Roma to raise awareness of diversity in schools.
I, on the other hand, studied Hospitality Management in a Californian University, ran a restaurant in Hawaii, started a boat company in the Whitsunday Islands, became a mum, wrote a guidebook and now teach journalism at university level. I also review family-friendly travel experiences to share with other parents for my web directory Kids Welcome.
Following in their footsteps
Unfortunately, I am unable to travel full-time, so we squeeze our adventures into school holidays but, interestingly, I find myself trying to emulate my own parents as my daughter, Amber, and I now travel around Australia. As I watch Amber float down rapids, climb mountains, feed meerkats and embrace history I share my mother’s endorsement of travel with kids.
“Our satisfaction will always be the tremendous joy of sharing the greatest adventure of our lives with our children and the pleasure it gave us to be so closely involved in their transition from childhood to maturity,” she said.
“The rewards have been priceless.”
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Sarah Pye is the author of Kids Welcome to Queensland guidebook, Travel with Kids blog and the Kids Welcome online directory. It includes reviews of over 2000 activities, attractions, tours, events, places to stay, places to eat, playgrounds and beaches in Australia, travel tips and great travel games.
~ Thanking you Sarah for your amazing homeschooling journey, and thanking you for sharing your parents story!
For our three children (15, 13 and 12), we used Virtual High School (VHS) Online and BYU Independent Study. Our oldest spent a year in France as an exchange student last year and because he is in high school (Grade 10), we felt that it would be easier if he followed a curriculum from our province (Ontario) instead. The other two enrolled at BYU (Grades 7 and 8). Our youngest one was supposed to be in Grade 6 but because BYU’s courses start at Grade 7, she took those courses instead.
After speaking with my aunt who is a high school teacher, we learned that our children actually learned more because they took 12 courses while on our current one-year RTW trip instead of the usual 7 to 8 courses per year. In addition, they learned valuable lessons within the right context while on the road—learning patronymic naming system in Iceland, trying to decipher the Rosetta stone at the British Museum, speaking French in France, exploring the pyramids in Egypt, studying rock formations in Jordan and Vietnam, and visiting numerous churches and temples in Andorra, Spain, Italy, Vatican, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. In the Philippines, they learned about Spain’s influence to the country and examined the artillery batteries used by American and Japanese during WW II.
Although we were involved with their school at home, we found that we are even more involved with their studies while we are the traveling—helping them prepare their schedule, quizzing them on the materials and scheduling their final exams. Hands down, I can confidently say that they learned more this year than any other year when they were in a traditional school.
Hi John,
Its so good to hear from a family who has learnt so much from homeschooling in 12 months – and is able to slot back into my stream schooling. Being advanced is fantastic – I am starting to think that “Real Life” is just as good as an education as going to school. They can learn so much from being around others.
I love how you took three children and explored the world for a year – it gives me inspiration to keep trying to do what we are doing!
Cheers
Lisa
This is a a great article. As a traveling mom, I often worry about what the kids perception of the whole thing will be when they are adults. I love to see this mom really appreciating and then emulating the gift her parents gave her in her teens.
Hi Mary,
It was so re-assuring to read another families journey with homeschooling!
Cheers
Lisa