A manifesto for the future of education: celebrating the launch of a Global Online School owned by some of the best teachers in the world

As some of you may have seen the Forbes article already, I am very proud to announce that this week, we launched FSI GO, a Global Online School to provide affordable online education designed co-owned and delivered by some of the best teachers in the world.

FSI GO is not just another school. It is a reflection of my own and millions of other people’s childhood not having had the chance to have access to quality education.

My childhood in the end of 80’s and 90’s in Kosovo was very challenging and difficult as we were basically living under an apartheid, without the basic right of education, in our own native Albanian. Therefore, we created a parallel education system which was completely financed from the volunteering contributions of people; people gave up their houses to be turned into schools and teaching occurred mostly informally in groups that were similar to current Learning Pods. It was a very difficult childhood, especially in terms of education. During the war of 98-99’, I spent part of my schooling in refugee camps in Macedonia and afterwards in Turkey and even ‘dropped’ out from school in Turkey, for some months, to help my family run a small burger shop that we had opened there after fleeing the war. 

I have lived in 6 different countries since and have been fortunate to be taught and teach at some of the best universities around the world. But the K12 education system globally is still in dire need of change and disruption. So I made a mission of my life to provide world class, quality education to children around the world at an affordable price who otherwise would not have the opportunity to receive a quality education.

For over 15 years, I have been involved in education, whether supporting our family businesses in the field of education or starting up my own. In our education portfolio, we have a network of the most successful summer schools in the Balkans, language schools, several K12 schools and Kosovo’s most innovative and perhaps one of the best higher education colleges, Universum College. In addition, I have been involved as an angel investor in a few ed-tech startups and have supported education companies around the world.

In 2017 we launched Finnish Schools International – a disruptive K12 international school concept, building on the foundations of the renowned Finnish education system and our flagship Finnish School of Kosovo has already become one of the most innovative schools in the region. While FSI schools provide world class education, they can only serve a rather limited constituency due to geographical and financial boundaries.

That is why I am so proud of the launch of FSI GO, a Global Online School. To ensure inclusivity, FSI GO is providing a 3 tier pricing based on GDP per capita starting at 295 euro per month ($349) and 30% discount for annual payments, so that the school is as inclusive as possible and provides opportunities to children from different parts of the world and is aspiring to become the number one alternative for the growing ‘Digitally native families’, nomads, expats, parents looking for global learning environments and families not willing to send their children to school in next months based on their apprehension on Covid-19 risks. 

FSI GO aims to provide world class education by bringing together a curriculum inspired by the globally renowned Finnish education system with some of the winners and finalists of Global Teacher Prize and National teacher prizes from around the world. FSI GO is one of the first schools that is actually co-owned and designed by teachers.  I am convinced that giving teachers the leadership not only to deliver their great courses but to design, co-create and own the school they dream will result in a world class online learning experience for our students. And we are looking for more world-class teachers so please apply here.

Rather than creating our own proprietary technology, FSI GO has brought together as part of its digital learning platform more than 50 State of the Art education technology applications ranging from AI, gamification, and experiential learning to provide a digitally enriched education experience, not only a ‘traditional online school’. 

With a combination of live and asynchronous classes, FSI Global Online School is built to provide flexibility and personalization. Every student has an Individual Learning Plan and can design her/his own learning journey, including time, team and learning mode. The school moves with families, allowing them to continue a flawless learning experience if re-locations take place. Students at FSI GO will be able to arrange and change their classroom groups (or learning pods) and team mates, while building a global and diverse network. Now, imagine what a world of opportunities emerges when a child has the chance to get involved in these learning experiences in different time zones, sharing with peers of different cultures and nations. That’s the world of opportunities we are creating with FSI GO.

For group of families looking to create a learning pod together, we provide selected onsite tutors that will come to your home and provide face to face learning support, while your children continue to receive a world class online education and participate in global projects with children from around the world.

Student well-being and 24/7 support is an important part of FSI GO’s education model. Based on individual data from each student, class (pod), and the whole school (which is provided through a digital application on a daily basis), FSI GO team adjusts its teaching and support, and makes direct interventions when necessary. And if a student has problems with Math, English or Science assignments or homework, there are 24/7 live tutors ready to help. 

FSI GO is working together with EtonX, part of the world-famous Eton College, to deliver 21st century skills development in essential skills, including Critical Thinking, Creative Problem Solving, Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Impact Making. 

For the next few years, we are aiming to create a hybrid model of global education localized for every country where students can spend time in a ‘Co-creation hub’ supported by local tutors and coaches while receiving the rest of tuition online from world class teachers. In this way, students can socialize and co-create with their peers while being academically prepared in a rigorous curriculum with global teachers. The goal is to create hubs at major cities around the world in the next 10 years.

We are a small step towards making the world a better, more connected place. But it is only through small steps that we can start making an impact.