Worldschooling – Travelling With Intent

Before worldschooling, I was born and raised in London, the multicultural capital of the world. I always thought that I would raise my children in the city that I love, however my insatiable desire to travel carved a different path for me. By the time my boys had reached the ages of 5 and 3; they had skied on the slopes of Val D’Isere and explored the souks of Marrakech.

Turning point

Bob Marley once sang “Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?” (Exodus). I eventually found myself planning our next trip while strolling along the Vltava river in Prague, soaking up the nightlife as the children played. London wasn’t enough for me anymore. Already home educating my oldest after a horrendous experience during his first term of school, I began my research. That’s when I came across the term ‘WORLDSCHOOLING’.

What is worldschooling?

I joined online communities for inspiration and discovered that there isn’t a ‘right’ way to worldschool. What works for one family, may not work for another. From families that choose real world experiences to shape their child’s education to those that travel once or twice a year around work and schooling commitments. Everybody’s worldschooling journey looks different.

Decisions, decisions 
I soon realised that if I wanted to make worldschooling a deliberate reality, I could no longer live in my beloved London – it just wasn’t cost-effective. I decided we would relocate to Morocco, it was the ideal base for low-cost living. It’s location as a bridge between Europe and Africa also allows for affordable travel options.

Education

While I had the travel side all figured out, I needed to make a decision about education. For me worldschooling is about travelling with intent, and my intent is to immerse ourselves in the country we are in as fully as possible. It was therefore a logical conclusion for me to opt for a private Moroccan school, despite the international and British schools available.

What now?

My boys are attending a French-speaking school, they have Arabic lessons twice a week. They are making friends with Moroccan children and taking part in cultural and religious events at school. I have found a wonderful expat community that has allowed me to explore our area more in depth than I thought possible. I have time to pursue my own passions and hobbies. We recently spent a week exploring Naples, Italy. We are happy.