The enrichment of world schooling.

I don’t mind admitting that I have moments during our travels when I worry about Cameron’s academic schooling and whilst I try my best to keep his education rolling with the ‘three R’s’ I am not a teacher and it is harder than I expected to keep the discipline of it going when there is such an exciting world outside to explore.

I worry about his return to main stream school in September in the knowledge that he will have his S.A.T.’s tests next year and wonder just how greatly our GAP year will effect his results?

But then we have days like today when we are wandering through the streets of the small polynesian island of Nuku Hiva when Cameron stops and points to a building and says “I wonder if John Utzon built that house?”

“Who the hell is John Utzon?” I replied, “oh you know Mummy, he’s the man who built Sydney Opera House” came Cam’s response. I stopped dead in my tracks, he was pretty much spot on, Jørn Utzon is indeed the man who designed (not built) Sydney Opera House. We both did the Opera House tour back in February and I had even written a blog about it but the man’s name had totally slipped my mind. Quite clearly it had not slipped Cameron’s though.

I don’t mind admitting that I was gobsmacked by the fact that at the tender age of 7 he had not only remembered the architects name but had instantly recognised a similarly in style of architecture of the approaching building – something which I would have walked straight past.

OK to some it might not look anything like, but I can clearly see how he made the identification with the layering pattern & sail style of roofing.

So whilst I might be worrying un-necessarily about the pressures and stresses of SAT testing next year, I have to remember that in travelling the world he is receiving a fricken PHD in geography, history, art & design, geology, anthropology, biology, oceanography, music and so much more.

Last night Cam pleaded with me “please, please, please can we keep on travelling, please don’t make me go back to school”

This whole experience has provided educational, social and spiritual enrichment for us both – far beyond my wildest dreams.

So I find myself asking the question – S.A.T’s or continual World Schooling??? …….Could we? Should we???