This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/aug/17/on-the-road-schooling-continues-as-uk-teachers-take-their-girls-to-europe
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| One year out becomes two as UK teachers take their girls to Europe | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| When the Meek family set out for an adventure of a lifetime last year – switching the classroom for on-the-road schooling for their two daughters on a journey around Britain – they had rather expected to be back in the “normal world” after one academic year. | When the Meek family set out for an adventure of a lifetime last year – switching the classroom for on-the-road schooling for their two daughters on a journey around Britain – they had rather expected to be back in the “normal world” after one academic year. |
| Instead Ella, 10, and Amy, 12, are set for a second year learning on the road with their parents Tim and Kerry – this time around Europe. | Instead Ella, 10, and Amy, 12, are set for a second year learning on the road with their parents Tim and Kerry – this time around Europe. |
| After 12 months and 13,000 miles in a caravan and countless visits to museums, National Trust properties and the wildest parts of the country, the Meek family aren’t quite ready for the adventure to stop just yet, the girls’ father explained. | After 12 months and 13,000 miles in a caravan and countless visits to museums, National Trust properties and the wildest parts of the country, the Meek family aren’t quite ready for the adventure to stop just yet, the girls’ father explained. |
| “We’ve absolutely loved it and while there have been low points, the time has absolutely flown by and that’s why we want to carry on,” Meek said. | “We’ve absolutely loved it and while there have been low points, the time has absolutely flown by and that’s why we want to carry on,” Meek said. |
| The family will now crisscross Europe – swapping their caravan for a state-of-the-art motorhome, both lent by the same company. They will start with a tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland, followed by an intensive language-focused few months in France, before visiting Scotland to take advantage of wild camping rules. Then they will visit the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany to learn, among other things, about different social models and the second world war. | The family will now crisscross Europe – swapping their caravan for a state-of-the-art motorhome, both lent by the same company. They will start with a tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland, followed by an intensive language-focused few months in France, before visiting Scotland to take advantage of wild camping rules. Then they will visit the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany to learn, among other things, about different social models and the second world war. |
| The two teachers quit their jobs and sold their house in Nottingham in order to raise £20,000 to fund the year of road school for their daughters, who have tried their hand at everything from sea kayaking off the north coast of Scotland to giving talks to an audience of hundreds at literary festivals. | The two teachers quit their jobs and sold their house in Nottingham in order to raise £20,000 to fund the year of road school for their daughters, who have tried their hand at everything from sea kayaking off the north coast of Scotland to giving talks to an audience of hundreds at literary festivals. |
| With the parents’ work providing teacher resources and writing – their book Learning Outdoors with the Meek Family has just been published – and careful budgeting, the family still has enough funds to keep on going. | With the parents’ work providing teacher resources and writing – their book Learning Outdoors with the Meek Family has just been published – and careful budgeting, the family still has enough funds to keep on going. |
| Related: School trip: teacher parents take kids for year of learning on the road | Related: School trip: teacher parents take kids for year of learning on the road |
| “There’s been so many highlights, but perhaps the best thing has been seeing the girls take on challenges, show determination and strength of character,” said Tim Meek, adding that a visit to Bletchley Park was a recent educational high point. | “There’s been so many highlights, but perhaps the best thing has been seeing the girls take on challenges, show determination and strength of character,” said Tim Meek, adding that a visit to Bletchley Park was a recent educational high point. |
| But as you might expect, long hours on the road with four people confined to a small space hasn’t always been easy. “You get niggles, arguments, sometimes you might miss a meal because you’re on the road,” said Meek. But the only real low point he can identify is the death of the family’s beloved dog before the adventure had even begun. “We practice doing a daily gratitude and I think we filter out the worst bit,” he said, adding that the girls – who keep in touch with their friends during regular visits to Nottingham and via Skype – had not once asked to go home. | But as you might expect, long hours on the road with four people confined to a small space hasn’t always been easy. “You get niggles, arguments, sometimes you might miss a meal because you’re on the road,” said Meek. But the only real low point he can identify is the death of the family’s beloved dog before the adventure had even begun. “We practice doing a daily gratitude and I think we filter out the worst bit,” he said, adding that the girls – who keep in touch with their friends during regular visits to Nottingham and via Skype – had not once asked to go home. |
| “We have always said it’s one for all, all for one – if anyone wanted to stop, we would call it a day and that hasn’t happened,” he said. It hasn’t always been easy for him and his wife, he admits. “Doing something like this does massively affect your relationship. Do we annoy each other sometimes? Yes. Is that hard in a small space? Yes. But we’re lucky that we get on,” he said. “An adventure like this is a potential problem for a relationship, but we are riding through it and really, it’s not about us, it’s about the girls.” | “We have always said it’s one for all, all for one – if anyone wanted to stop, we would call it a day and that hasn’t happened,” he said. It hasn’t always been easy for him and his wife, he admits. “Doing something like this does massively affect your relationship. Do we annoy each other sometimes? Yes. Is that hard in a small space? Yes. But we’re lucky that we get on,” he said. “An adventure like this is a potential problem for a relationship, but we are riding through it and really, it’s not about us, it’s about the girls.” |
| Quite early on in the adventure the pair realised that sticking rigidly to a normal school curriculum would be impossible. “We felt we couldn’t teach the curriculum properly, or take advantage of where we were. We had to force ourselves to be more relaxed,” he said. While the children still study maths every day and deal with literacy through a range of tasks, from writing their blog to creating speeches, they may also spend a few days wild camping and cooking food outdoors or learn about history through places. | Quite early on in the adventure the pair realised that sticking rigidly to a normal school curriculum would be impossible. “We felt we couldn’t teach the curriculum properly, or take advantage of where we were. We had to force ourselves to be more relaxed,” he said. While the children still study maths every day and deal with literacy through a range of tasks, from writing their blog to creating speeches, they may also spend a few days wild camping and cooking food outdoors or learn about history through places. |
| The children are likely to be back in school before taking options for future exams, he added. “What they will have is the skills and capacity to show they are employable in the future – not just the ability to cram and regurgitate information.” | The children are likely to be back in school before taking options for future exams, he added. “What they will have is the skills and capacity to show they are employable in the future – not just the ability to cram and regurgitate information.” |
| Unlike many other children of their age, Tim Meek said his daughters are less obsessed with “screen time”. They each have a Kindle for learning and Skyping with their friends, but neither has a phone. “They might occasionally play Minecraft but we’ve brought them up to moderate their time online,” he said. “We never have to tell them they’ve had enough.” | Unlike many other children of their age, Tim Meek said his daughters are less obsessed with “screen time”. They each have a Kindle for learning and Skyping with their friends, but neither has a phone. “They might occasionally play Minecraft but we’ve brought them up to moderate their time online,” he said. “We never have to tell them they’ve had enough.” |
| Although the past year has held its challenges, and the next 12 months undoubtedly has many in store, the family has no regrets about setting of on its big adventure, said Meek. “What we have perfected is measuring success not by how much disposable income we have, but how much disposable time. We have learnt to really enjoy the simple things.” | Although the past year has held its challenges, and the next 12 months undoubtedly has many in store, the family has no regrets about setting of on its big adventure, said Meek. “What we have perfected is measuring success not by how much disposable income we have, but how much disposable time. We have learnt to really enjoy the simple things.” |