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Parenting

I got tired of the daily grind — so I’m ‘world schooling’ my kids

By
Tracy Swartz
Published March 10, 2024, 7:02 p.m. ET

A UK millennial couple is praising their decision to “world school” their two children instead of enrolling them in traditional school.

“The experience the children get — they’d never get in the UK,” TikToker Lauren Tyson, 31, from Sudbury, Suffolk, told SWNS.

Tyson and her artist husband, Roy, 37, always had a passion for travel and dreamed of globetrotting full-time with their sons, who are 2 and 5.

Their oldest boy “hated” school — he struggled with emotional stability — so the couple decided to pull him out in January and backpack around the world while homeschooling him.

“We weren’t sure if England was the right place for us,” Lauren confessed.

The pair say they still follow the English curriculum, spending a few hours a day studying with their son before exploring Ko Samui, Thailand, as a family.

A UK millennial couple is praising their decision to "world school" their two children instead of enrolling them in traditional school.
A UK millennial couple is praising their decision to “world school” their two children instead of enrolling them in traditional school. Lauren Tyson / SWNS
Lauren Tyson, 31, and her artist husband, Roy, 37, always had a passion for travel and dreamed of globetrotting full-time with their sons, who are 2 and 5.
Lauren Tyson, 31, and her artist husband, Roy, 37, always had a passion for travel and dreamed of globetrotting full-time with their sons, who are 2 and 5. Lauren Tyson / SWNS

Lauren feels that world schooling has been “better” for their sons, as it’s taught them life skills such as empathy and resilience.

“He’s picked up a lot having us around constantly,” Lauren said about her oldest.

The Tysons had been backpacking in 2015 and 2016, before having kids, and always felt a pull to travel more.

They decided to take the plunge once they saw their oldest son struggling in school.

They spent three months planning the journey, which included figuring out how to rent out their house and how to homeschool their children.

The couple decided to take the plunge once they saw their 5-year-old son struggling in school.
The couple decided to take the plunge once they saw their 5-year-old son struggling in school. Lauren Tyson / SWNS
The couple spends a few hours a day studying with their oldest son before exploring Ko Samui, Thailand, as a family.
The couple spends a few hours a day studying with their oldest son before exploring Ko Samui, Thailand, as a family. Lauren Tyson / SWNS

In January, they left for Abu Dhabi before continuing on to Bangkok and Ko Samui.

The family is staying there before their tourist visa runs out — they say they will choose their next destination based on the cheapest flights.

Lauren spends the morning homeschooling their 5-year-old with textbooks before taking both sons out to places such as bird farms for experiences.

“The one-on-one time is valuable,” Lauren said. “In the market [the oldest boy] talks about these fruits English kids wouldn’t know. He talks about Buddhism.”

"The one-on-one time is valuable," Lauren said. "In the market [the oldest boy] talks about these fruits English kids wouldn’t know. He talks about Buddhism."
“The one-on-one time is valuable,” Lauren said. “In the market [the oldest boy] talks about these fruits English kids wouldn’t know. He talks about Buddhism.” Lauren Tyson / SWNS

The family has no set plans for how long they will travel, but they have rented out their house in the UK for 18 months.

They’ve already noticed the benefits of a slower pace of life, including less stress and more time together.

“Life in the UK was go, go, go,” Lauren sighed. “I’d drop the kids off at school, go to nursery, go to the gym, do the food shop, go to swim lessons. It’s very chilled here.”

Lauren says she “can’t imagine going back to the UK,” while acknowledging her brood is “privileged” to go on this adventure.

“If it inspires another family to do this that would be amazing,” Lauren said.

Lauren says she "can’t imagine going back to the UK," while acknowledging her brood is "privileged" to go on this adventure.
Lauren says she “can’t imagine going back to the UK,” while acknowledging her brood is “privileged” to go on this adventure. Lauren Tyson / SWNS

“World schooling” isn’t a new concept — but it appears to have been popularized by TikTokers and hastened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

US families’ interest in homeschooling rose 30% from 2019 to 2022, a study last year found.

CBS News reported in September that “world schooling hubs” have been formed in places such as Egypt, Spain, Thailand, Morocco, French Polynesia, Peru, Colombia, Portugal and Bulgaria.

Monthly “hub” attendance ranges from $250 to $900, not including living costs or airfare.