“All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall” (Pink Floyd)
You are more than a gray brick. You beautify the world with your diversity.
UNBRICKED means that you should not be squeezed into a mold.
UNBRICKED is the school that prepares you to build your own world.
UNBRICKED is us!
Your child should look forward to a happy future. That is why we are reforming teaching, learning, and education. Of course, we aim to send your child off into the future with a good diploma under their arm. But first and foremost, your child needs to understand why that is so important.
Our mission is to create a school where students and learning companions are highly motivated to learn and have a good time together. Our vision is your freedom.
We declare the state school systems to be bankrupt and turn the concept of “school” on its head. The antiquated idea of school is very dangerous because it will not prepare your child for a future that we can only imagine inadequately today. A future with jobs that do not even exist yet.
We believe that every human being contributes an important part to the world, which is why we prepare children to become specialists in their own interests. Because it is important!
The future belongs to our children. Our students learn to actively shape this future according to their own ideas. We stand for self-determination, creativity, perseverance, and trust in oneself and in a positive future.
Therefore, we educate in all areas in a self-directed and competently guided manner. Together, our students grow into a strong network and support each other, ensuring that each individual’s future plans succeed. For a good tomorrow.
Similar to our student mentors, we are experts with varying backgrounds. And just like our students, we differ and complement each other precisely because of that.
But who are “we”? You will find out here.
Hello, Hola, Hello!
My name is Tanja, I am 50 years old, and I have two daughters (22 and 28 years old). During the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the decision to immigrate to Spain within four weeks. That was one of the best decisions of my life. However, studying to become a teacher was not such a good decision because I didn’t feel comfortable in the school environment at all. Although, well, who knows if UNBRICKED would even exist today without my teaching degree. I then trained as a trainer and executive coach, became self-employed, and have been working in this profession passionately for over 20 years. Learning and researching are essential parts of my life, which is why at the age of 39, I returned to university to study philosophy and cultural reflection. In the years before moving to Spain, I worked as a freelance lecturer at over 25 German universities. Since living in Spain, I have indulged in the luxury of offering coaching exclusively here on the wonderful Costa Blanca. And my clients benefit doubly from coaching.
What are your experiences with the public education system?
We were largely left alone. I was the only one in my class from my disadvantaged elementary school to transfer to a grammar school. I was the youngest in the class, tiny, and I hadn’t covered all the school material that the other children had been taught during their elementary school years. Unfortunately, from 5th grade to high school graduation, I didn’t encounter a single teacher who had a genuine interest in children or in teaching the material in a way that made the lessons enjoyable. In middle and high school, I mentally checked out, and in high school, I simply didn’t attend classes as often as possible. Thanks to decent exam results, I somehow managed to pass. Is that the goal of school?
I then studied to become a teacher because I wanted to do everything better. Naively, I thought I could design lessons that were child-friendly and exciting. Well, there was just one problem: the system. I couldn’t stand it for more than a few months.
As a mother, many things repeated themselves, which I only truly understood and could put into context then. With a highly gifted daughter who simply didn’t understand why she had to produce so much nonsense, elementary school was a real hell ride for me as a mother. The teachers found a clever child to be nothing but a nuisance, so a little 7-year-old girl was bullied instead of supported. I had no choice but to choose a private school for my daughter starting in 5th grade. Fortunately, I experienced that school can be different there, and my daughter’s skills were appreciated.
My younger daughter fit well into the public education system right from the beginning. It does happen 😊. I became very involved in parent work there and was the chairperson of the parent council for several years, acting as the link between the school management, 120 teachers, and 2400 parents. I love to share the stories I experienced in a convivial gathering. The repertoire ranges from forged minutes of the school conference to embezzlement of funds and even a forged high school diploma. Seriously, what are children supposed to learn there?
Are there any aspects of your school years that you liked?
The school cafeteria was okay, and the cohesion within the class was quite good for most students. I still maintain several friendships from back then. Oh yes, I met my husband in the art course. That’s wonderful.
What things bothered you about the public school system?
What bothered me the most was that the public school system was a gathering place for incompetence and sadism.
What is your motivation for UNBRICKED?
I worked as a freelance lecturer at over 25 universities for several years. The feedback from young people was always: “Finally, someone is interested in me.” I wish for a world in which children have the experience: “I am important. I can do something. I am valuable. I have something to contribute.” And I want to contribute to this development. I want to be a part of shaping a future where children can’t wait to explore the world together with learning companions and school friends, and collectively prepare for a meaningful life, whether they want to become a baker, physicist, or entrepreneur.
Hi 🙂 I’m Jana, just in my early 20s, and one of the fortunate few who fit well into the public education system. However, because of that, I’ve made early efforts to help others develop customized learning strategies for themselves.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of accompanying and witnessing hundreds of young people as they find their individuality and develop their interests.
Through my experience as a learning coach and tutor, I’ve learned how to prepare children for the necessary exams, such as the Abitur (high school diploma in Germany). However, I noticed that sometimes individuality takes a backseat, which I realized during my gap year after high school and in my internship during my studies. From that, I concluded that you can’t separate the two if you strive for a successful and self-determined life.
What are your experiences with the public education system?
I never had any difficulties with the public education system, as I was good at rote learning and always knew what the teachers wanted from me. But my luck primarily came from having teachers who were understanding, even when things didn’t always work out as planned in their curriculum. Of course, I also had teachers who took their roles a bit too seriously and prioritized homework over the everyday challenges some students faced. An 11-year-old child usually doesn’t have the skills to set their own priorities independently when their parents say that football training is more important. And a 17-year-old may set their priorities right if taking care of their grandparent or working part-time to support their family is more important than a math assignment. In my observation, the system as most of us know it leaves little room for motivated young people with great potential and an interest in learning, but who sometimes have other things on their minds. Similarly, it doesn’t leave much space for talented artists, dedicated politicians, or the annual winners of youth research if their sports grade doesn’t meet the requirements. We counteract this by having smaller classes in which our students can be individually supported to bring out the best in themselves.
Are there any aspects of your school years that you liked?
Of course, breaks. Holidays, friends, the list goes on. Overall, I have positive memories of my school years because I usually knew how much I had to do for things that didn’t interest me. Knowing that also meant knowing how much I didn’t have to do. As a result, I was able to use my school years to educate myself in things that I enjoyed. And that’s where teachers come in handy. Whether through book recommendations for the holidays or sometimes through a little kick in the rear. I would never have considered studying French or choosing a binational study program if my French teacher hadn’t motivated me to do things outside my comfort zone. In theory, our school system offers everyone the opportunity to educate themselves in things that interest them, but in practice, it unfortunately requires many methods that instill a fear of learning in many people. And life skills are also unfortunately not part of the curriculum, so a young person is first confronted with the, be it bureaucratic, challenges of our society before embarking on their journey of self-discovery.
What things bothered you about the public school system?
I remember being banned from German class for a few months. I had misplaced my copy of “Faust” during a move and foolishly showed up to class without it, thinking that my homework was still worth presenting. However, my teacher had a different opinion and banned me from class. Admittedly, it didn’t bother me much in that moment because I went to a second philosophy course instead. But I didn’t like the fact that a teacher decided what I was allowed to learn any more than I liked the 6 points that ended up on my report card. While I invested my time in more meaningful things like philosophy, my classmates developed such a great fear of this teacher that they were no longer brave enough to participate or eventually became afraid of German class in general. Similar to physical education, where you start to cower as soon as the professional handball player holds the ball. It’s pointless anyway. If you’re not in a sports club, you automatically get a grade 4. In my opinion, this fear of learning is the biggest enemy of our society, and continuous learning is the key to a self-determined and fulfilling life based on one’s chosen definitions of success. It would be a shame to lose that at an early age just because you can’t read grades.
What is your motivation for Unbricked?
To show students that learning never stops. No one. That they can choose for themselves what they actually want and that it’s always worth pursuing those goals. They don’t have to conform to be competitive; they can create their own competition. Innovations come from new ideas, from thinking differently. Not from “We’ve always done it this way.” That’s why we adapt to the child, not the other way around. Because we truly believe that children are our future. To guarantee individual support, we offer a wide range of courses and content, allowing us to adapt to the needs of every child. Additionally, we strive to create a pleasant and supportive learning environment where every child feels comfortable and can succeed.
Hello, my name is Kim. I’m 39 years young and originally a lawyer. However, about 6 years ago, I decided to take a different path and have been running my own agency for web design, development, and online marketing from my chosen home in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. There, we help small businesses present themselves convincingly online and attract more customers and new employees.
What are your experiences with the public education system?
I spent my entire school years in my hometown of Meppen in the Emsland region of Lower Saxony. I was born in 1983, and at that time, there was still an orientation phase after elementary school. In grades 5 and 6, they assessed which type of school (Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium) would be the best fit for the students and then provided a recommendation primarily based on their grade average.
This is where I had my negative experience that had a lasting negative impact on my perception of the school system. In anticipation, students were grouped into performance levels (A, B, C) in certain subjects such as mathematics. If you wanted to move up to a higher group, you could switch at the next semester with a grade of at least 2. While math was never my strong suit, I could still adapt reasonably well to the required level. Overall, my grades were average and not necessarily indicative of Gymnasium material. As a result, I ended up in the “only” B-level math class. Nevertheless, I wanted to be in the A-level class because I desperately wanted to go to Gymnasium. However, I was initially told, “Sorry, but we don’t believe your level is sufficient.” It was only in the last semester that they allowed me to participate in the A-level class despite not having the required grade. And lo and behold, I adapted to the level there as well, and my grade remained a 3, even at the higher level. Despite this achievement (according to teachers, an improvement from a grade 5 to a 2), they only recommended me for Realschule. Even though the teachers tried to convince my parents that attending Gymnasium was not advisable, my strong will prevailed, and my parents enrolled me in Gymnasium, where my pattern essentially continued over the years. I gradually adapted to the requirements and ultimately obtained my Abitur (German high school diploma) contrary to the teachers’ prognosis during regular school time.
Are there any aspects of your school years that you liked?
Looking back, there is little that comes to mind. If anything, it was the social aspect. Having the opportunity to meet my friends, although this was much better fulfilled outside of school in the afternoon and evening. That’s when we could pursue the things that truly interested us. For me, it was often sports, whether in a club or with friends and neighborhood kids on the playground.
What things bothered you about the public school system?
The most negative experience for me was the lack of ability of teachers to motivate me for their subjects. Intrinsic motivation only existed for sports. Except for one exception from 11th grade onwards in the subject of politics, I didn’t have a single teacher who could motivate me and make the lessons truly enjoyable. Not surprisingly, that’s where I had my best grades. Overall, for me, school was mostly about sitting it out and studying for exams. Looking back on my school years, I find it very unfortunate because learning is one of the most wonderful things. Unfortunately, that’s not conveyed in the public school system.
Another point that was difficult for me was the start of classes at 8:00 a.m. As a child, it already contradicts your internal clock. In addition, I often had the additional physical burden of training in a sports club in the evening, which inevitably led to going to bed late, plus the additional need for sleep for recovery from training. Essentially, I was chronically sleep-deprived throughout my entire school years. As I now know, that is one of the biggest barriers to performance and development. Not to mention the health consequences.
What is your motivation for Unbricked?
Before I begin, it’s important to note that Unbricked is not and does not aim to be a replacement for the public education system. Education is an absolute core task of every state, as it significantly determines the future success of a nation. Therefore, it should be in the self-interest of every state to establish its education system in a way that enables modern, progressive education for all children. Unfortunately, most countries fail quite miserably for various reasons. Fortunately, there are positive examples, especially in Scandinavia.
However, UNBRICKED can provide an alternative for people who are not legally bound to a state system, do not want to be, or simply cannot participate in a location-bound school system due to their lifestyle. We want to enable these people and their children to experience school and learning the way children deserve: with fun, high motivation, and based on the latest scientific methods.
In our Freedom Guide, you will find all the information summarized for you. Including all the requirements, a homeschooling overview for 25 countries to guide you, as well as three inspiring stories from famous personalities who enjoyed homeschooling as children.
By clicking the “Get your Freedom Guide now!” button, you agree to receive regular information about our offers by email. You can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time. You can find all information about data processing in our privacy policy.
