Worldschooling for the win: A Northland family’s dream come true

Lunch with a family in rural Iran. Photo / Away with the Steiners

You’ve heard of homeschooling and maybe even unschooling, but what about worldschooling?

A Northland family are celebrating the four-year anniversary of departing on a non-stop journey educating their sons by travelling off the beaten path throughout Central and South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Sarah Banfield and Gavin Steiner took the brave leap upon realising just how many hours they were working, and consequently not spending with their boys Harry and Oscar, aged 5 and 3 at the time.

Banfield was teaching and managing an early childhood centre, while Steiner was operations manager at an earthmoving and transport company.

“We were working jobs we loved, but just so many hours and hardly having much time to spend with the kids,” Banfield said.

“We just wanted to bring them up ourselves, to teach them to embrace risks and chase dreams, and to experience the world.

“So we saved up, sold up, packed up and set off.”

“It’s so easy to get into such a routine with kids. It’s been a nice break,” Steiner added.

In traditional dress in Saudi Arabia. Photo / Away with the Steiners

March 26 marks four years since they left Northland for Central Asia, with just two backpacks and four hearts full of dreams.

They’ve since taken to calling it “dream day”, and make a special point of sharing their dreams for the forthcoming year as the first step towards living them.

“We’re really excited about this anniversary, living this lifestyle we never thought would be possible.”

They recently shared insights into just how they’ve managed to create a travel lifestyle with the Northland Age, speaking from Morocco, fresh from Mauritania and hoping their next stop would be a return to Pakistan.

“The Steiners”, as they’re known on their popular YouTube channel and social media pages, were adamant that anyone can afford to travel, and have created a tutorial to guide others.

“Affording travel is all about prioritising,” Steiner said.

“We’re very practical about budgeting. It’s about how rather than how much.

“We cut down all expenses at home, and prioritised what we spent our money on. That meant no new cars, or even unnecessary jeans or shoes.

“And it doesn’t cost as much as people think once you’re out here and living it. Although it also depends where in the world you go.”

They also said New Zealand affords incredible travel experiences for families who prefer not to or cannot go overseas.

“You don’t have to go to the other side of the world to spend this kind of time together. You could do this at home,” Steiner said.

“It doesn’t matter whether the adventure is big or small. It’s about sharing time with our kids.”

And that time has been rich in learning experiences.

Harry, 9, during a visit to the ancient city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia. Photo / Away with the Steiners

Banfield attended Opua School, Springbank School and Kerikeri High School, while her eldest Harry also attended Opua before leaving New Zealand.

“I have been fortunate to experience teaching opportunities and volunteering in many of the Pacific Islands - Cook Islands, Tonga, Niue, Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu,” she said.

“Education, especially the early years, is something that supports our passion for learning this way.

“I feel confident to educate them, but also more pressure.”

The couple said they were passionate about schooling and education, and looking at different options in line with their belief that there isn’t one mould that fits every child.

“We figure they can learn maths and English any time, but what we’re learning now is teaching them to be good, creative, respectful humans who have the confidence to act without prejudice,” Banfield said.

“We’re sort of stepping back in time out here. It’s teaching us to appreciate the simple things in life, and a lot about empathy and humility.”

“Harry’s learning to order tea and buy vegetables in French in Morocco. They can introduce themselves in Arabic. The world is their classroom,” Steiner said.

Steiner and Banfield at a beautiful mosque at Isfahan, Iran. Photo / Away with the Steiners

Steiner described their pre-kid travel days as adventure-filled and hard to top, encouraging fellow parents to change their perspective rather than change their plans.

“Travel should not be off the cards just because you have kids. You just change how you do it.

“Travelling with children actually takes it to a whole new level.

“They’ll point things out that you’d generally walk past. They see the world through a completely different lens.”

While they initially imagined a travelling lifestyle as a special learning opportunity for the kids, they’ve realised it applies to the whole family.

“It’s the learning that has us all hooked on this lifestyle,” Steiner said.

“The world’s pretty opinionated, with different religions and cultures.

“We figure if we can expose ourselves to as much as possible, maybe we can break down those barriers and make the world a bit smaller.

“I’ve sat and had a tea with a man; we couldn’t speak to each other, but we were both dads. So we understood each other.”

Through their travels, they’ve learned people around the world are more similar than they are different.

“All parents are just trying to raise our kids and educate them the best way we can,” Steiner said.

“The world needs good human beings more than anything else.”

The Steiners have set their sights on hosting trips for small groups of Kiwi families who wish to travel off the beaten path, but feel uneasy doing it on their own.

“We want to share how we travel. We have people all around the world we’d love to introduce other Kiwi families to,” Banfield said.

“In October, we’ll be going to India. Anyone who’d love to come but would never do it on their own is invited to come away with us.

“And we love hearing from people with questions about how to do this.”

To follow or join their adventure, connect with them on YouTube or social media: @Away with the Steiners.