What is worldschooling and how does it work?

Last updated: 8 October 2026

What is worldschooling? Worldschooling is a growing approach to education in which children learn through travel and real-world experiences rather than (or as well as) in a classroom. This article explains what worldschooling is, how it differs from homeschooling and unschooling, how it works, and its benefits and drawbacks.

What is worldschooling?

The term worldschooling was coined by Boston-born writer Eli Gerzon. The following excerpt is taken from his website:

This is a new term coined by Eli Gerzon that is essentially a more descriptive and positive version of unschooling that can apply to anyone even those beyond school age. Gerzon defines it by saying, “It’s when the whole world is your school, instead school being your whole world.” Eli Gerzon has “unschooled through college” mainly by learning from his international travels but the term does not require you to travel the world, just as unschooling doesn’t forbid making use of school resources.

Instead, it’s when one actively experiences and learns from the world around one: the home, family, friends, strangers of all backgrounds, libraries, parks, sports, forests, schools, towns, and of course the world and the world wide web. It also emphasizes that there is always more to learn from this wonderful, complex world regardless of whether one has a high school degree, is a doctor, or is solely self-educated.

Essentially, worldschooling is about children learning through immersion – being educated through experiencing new cultures, new places, different traditions and so on.

What is the difference between worldschooling and homeschooling?

Is worldschooling different to homeschooling? To answer this, it is important to first understand homeschooling. With an estimated 3 million or more homeschooled children in the US alone, it is a popular way of educating children. 

What is homeschooling?

Generally, homeschooling relates to an academic education. However, with different educational philosophies to choose from, parents are able to stray from the typical ‘textbooks and standardised testing’. They can pick and choose from different methods of teaching to best fit the individual child’s needs, something that can so often be overlooked in a school environment for obvious reasons.

The laws and requirements for homeschooling differ around the world. In England, for example, where more than 110,000 children were recorded as being home educated in autumn 2024, parents must ensure their child or children receive a full time education from the age of 5. However, this does not have to follow the national curriculum. The (local) council are able to make informal enquiries as to whether a child is receiving a full time education. If they are dissatisfied, they may issue a school attendance order. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced in 2024, also includes plans for compulsory local registers of children who are not in school. 

There is no detailed legislation setting out what home education must include, but the law does set out a general duty. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states:

The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable –               

(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and

(b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

According to UK guidance, parents or carers who are homeschooling their child do not have to do any of the following by law:

• acquire specific qualifications for the task
• have premises equipped to any particular standard                
• aim for the child to acquire any specific qualifications                 
• teach the National Curriculum
• provide a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum
• make detailed lesson plans in advance
• give formal lessons
• mark work done by the child                     
• formally assess progress, or set development objectives
• reproduce school type peer group socialisation
• match school-based, age-specific standards

Is this the same as worldschooling?

How does homeschooling link to worldschooling? The two interlink because, due to the guidance and laws surrounding homeschooling, parents are also able to engage in worldschooling. If there were no provisions for homeschooling, then worldschooling would never have been able to exist.

Who invented worldschooling?

As mentioned, worldschooling itself was ‘invented’ by Eli Gerzon. However it actually builds on an earlier concept, proposed by author and educator John Holt. This is known as ‘unschooling’. It is described as an abandonment of any kind of curriculum, letting children learn simply through their curiosities as they go along in life. Holt believed that children did not need to be forced into learning, and they would do so naturally by following their own interests and having access to a ‘rich assortment of resources’.

Unschooling is legal in the UK and many other countries. This may be partly due to the lack of knowledge around it – because home education does not have to follow the national curriculum and so on, there is little room for scrutiny. It is entirely subjective whether a child is receiving an efficient full-time education. With no laws around testing and set hours, for example, there is nothing stopping parents from unschooling their children if they have the means to do so.

Worldschooling is a blend of homeschooling and unschooling. So although the term was coined by Gerzon, the overarching concept can be traced back to Holt.

Why worldschooling is growing in popularity

There are plenty of ways to ensure your child receives the best education possible and worldschooling is just one approach. Worldschooling is growing in popularity for a variety of reasons. A lot of the reason for the rise in popularity can be attributed to social media and blogging. People naturally become curious when they see others doing something different. If it weren’t for the people who write about worldschooling and share their own journey, a lot of people wouldn’t even know about it! So, the more this concept is shared, the more people look into it and perhaps choose to try it themselves.

Many people are also looking for alternatives to conventional lifestyles. While there are of course laws in place to protect humanity, there is no need to go along with the status quo or to live the traditional 9-to-5 lifestyle, and the growth of remote working has made long-term travel more achievable for some families. This means that people are always looking for ways they can improve their life and for those that love to travel, worldschooling is an obvious one.

And of course, there is an increased desire to have experiential travel experiences. More and more people are looking for a deeper travel experience, where cultural tourism and educational tourism are at the forefront. Parents who have been confined to travelling only during the school holidays, when prices sky rocket and those with younger children who do not wish to enter into this system are increasingly opting for worldschooling experiences that provides them with the opportunity to travel long term and obtain all of the educational benefits that this yields through worldschooling.

Is there a worldschooling curriculum?

There is no official set worldschooling curriculum. However, families who want a more structured approach can use online curricula. Companies such as Time4Learning offer lesson plans and curricula that can be used to create a style of learning that suits each child (see Time4Learning’s homeschool curriculum).

How does worldschooling work?

Essentially, there are no fixed rules. Worldschooling will look different for everyone. Some families may lean more towards a traditional education while travelling – setting time aside for structured lessons in certain subject areas. Other families may go for an unschooling approach: no plan, no structure, no goals or targets, just experiences that pique their children’s curiosity.

Video: What is worldschooling and how does it work?

Can I travel with my family full time using worldschooling?

Yes. This is why many people choose worldschooling as an option – because they want to travel full time. There is an argument that families who are not travelling full time (or near enough) are simply homeschooling.

The benefits of worldschooling

There are many benefits to worldschooling, including:

• Children can learn a new language by immersing themselves in it almost entirely. For example, by living in Spain for a while a child could learn Spanish easier than at school without having to typically ‘study’

• It is easier to empathise with historical events when hearing about them in the place they happened for example, the Holocaust can be better understood when learning about it at Auschwitz.

• There is an increase in family time 

• Children can build their confidence through partaking in a variety of activities they might not otherwise, and meeting people from a huge variety of backgrounds

• Worldschoolers may find it easier to discover their passions due to having experience so much of the world

• Families can make many different connections by being in new places so often 

Hannah, a worldschooler, describes many of the benefits of worldschooling in her tongue-in-cheek post, 10 ways world schooling has ruined my childhood.

The disadvantages of worldschooling

There are plenty of disadvantages to worldschooling too.

• Children don’t follow a set curriculum, so may miss out on becoming adept at things like maths and English

• It can be expensive to travel the world and to pay for access to museums, archaeological sites, theatre shows and so on

• Families may miss loved ones back home, and it can be hard for children to make deep or lasting friendships when constantly on the move, although technology makes it easier to stay in touch

• Without formal qualifications children may struggle to access university education or certain careers

• Long-term travel is expensive, so this lifestyle is not accessible to everyone. Parents who are unable to work remotely would need to save a lot of money before they go

Worldschooling: FAQs

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about worldschooling.

Worldschooling: Further reading

If you found this article on worldschooling useful, these articles may also be of interest:

• Educational tourism: Everything you need to know
• What is sustainable tourism and why does it matter?
• Wildlife tourism: The good the bad and the ugly
• Slum tourism: What is it and how does it work?
• Digital nomad jobs – a complete list
• Workation – the newest trend in travel?

About the author

Dr Hayley Stainton is a tourism academic, examiner and the founder of Tourism Teacher. She has a PhD in tourism and more than 20 years’ experience teaching travel and tourism at school and university level. Read more about Hayley