When the World Becomes the Classroom: Exploring Alternative Education Paths
In the latest episode of The Ecstatic Life Podcast, I chatted with Francesca Wilson — a home-educating mama of two boys who stepped out of a London-career life into world-schooling her children across continents. Together we hopped into the kinds of education that say “yes” to curiosity, yes to travel, yes to nature — and yes to seeing the child as whole rather than compartmentalised.
What follows is a reflection and a guide: not just about schooling, but about living and learning, in all directions. If you’re a mother who’s tired of conventional schooling models and dreams of something freer, something more aligned with your rhythm and your family’s vision — lean in.
Homeschooling vs Home Education
One of the things Francesca made clear: in the UK context she distinguishes “homeschooling” from “home education”. In her words, homeschooling often means replicating school at home — structured lessons, a formal curriculum, maybe even tests. Home education, by contrast, is more fluid, interest-based, not bound by those same walls.
What homeschooling might look like
You choose the curriculum, set the schedule, manage the lessons.
You replicate some of the school day structure, just in a home setting.
Great for moms who like structure, confidence in covering “the bases,” and want to tightly guide the learning.
What home education could feel like
The day flows with interest, travel, projects, books, nature, play.
Learning is integrated into life rather than compartmentalised.
The parent is less “teacher at the front” and more “guide, co-learner, facilitator.”
Francesca’s journey fits the latter. Her family doesn’t just learn geography — they live geography: Spain, Costa Rica, Thailand, each part of the curriculum. They lean into culture, language, slow travel, meaning. When you listen, you’ll hear how the world became their classroom.
Un-schooling: Letting Curiosity Lead
This is the term that I most resonate with in my home education journey!
Unschooling emphasises the child’s interests and pace: there’s no strict curriculum, sometimes no set schedule, no formal tests. Learning happens because children want to learn, and parents create the spaces and resources for that to happen.
The child isn’t another job to manage; the parent becomes space-holder for a child’s unfolding.
However, unschooling also demands trust, surrender, deep awareness, and a willingness to skip the checklist!
Nature Schooling: The Earth as Teacher
Nature-schooling (also called forest school or nature-based education) places the natural world front and centre: outdoors, hands-on, existence in wild (or semi-wild) context.
It asks questions like:
What if the creek is our science lab?
What if the forest is our classroom and the seasons our textbook?
What if children learn resilience by climbing trees, asking questions under open skies, feeling the wind on their skin?
It’s gentle, soulful, rhythmic. For mothers who crave this for their children — and themselves — it offers a fascinating alternative to indoor screens and structured desks.
World Schooling: Global Travel + Learning with Heart
And then there’s the kind of education that picks up your children and their backpacks and takes them across continents. That is the path Francesca has walked: world schooling.
In simple terms, world schooling means the world becomes your classroom. You’re not just visiting countries for vacations — you’re immersing, learning culture, language, community, nature, history, everyday life.
In Francesca’s story you’ll hear: the freedom of slow travel, the kindness of cultures, the depth of cross-cultural connection. You’ll hear about finances, moving parts, fear, and how they balanced a base-camp with nomadic heart.
World schooling is not for the faint of heart — but it is for families who feel the pulse of freedom and know that their children’s education will be enriched by the world’s vibrancy, textures, languages, and rhythms.
How These Paths Intersect & How to Choose What’s Right for You
Bringing in key distinctions
Structure vs fluidity — how much guide and how much allow.
Location vs movement — home base? travel? mix of both? (Francesca uses both.)
Financial & logistical realities — world schooling has extra layers of travel, visas, legalities. Your family's financial situation and job commitments come into play, as well. Understanding legality of home education in different states or countries is also part of the map.
Root values — If your heart shouts “I want connection to nature, cycles, seasons, freedom” then nature schooling resonates. If your soul whispers “We want to move, explore, learn from the world,” world schooling calls. If you need steadiness plus flexibility — home education or homeschooling might be your curve. (But, honestly — there is a ton of overlap, and there is no need to get bogged down by terminology!)
Practical starter questions for you:
What feels right in your body when you imagine a learning day for your children?
How comfortable are you with structure vs flow?
What resources (time, finances, space, travel) are you able to allocate right now?
What community or support do you have — for you and your children?
What values are non-negotiable in your family’s life (e.g., freedom, nature, cultural immersion, deep connection)?
Mamas, here’s the sacred truth: education is not just about knowledge — it’s about being, becoming, belonging. Whether your children are exploring continents with a backpack, climbing trees in a forest classroom, or learning at your kitchen table through homemade science experiments — the most potent learning happens when it aligns with your deeper rhythm.
Let the world be your classroom. Let nature be your teacher. Let curiosity lead. And let your motherhood be a bold, ecstatic reclaiming of identity and freedom.
