This 9-YO Doesn't Go To School But He Invests in SIPs & Builds Robots

On a sunny morning, while many children head to school, Vedarth might be sketching ideas for a robot prototype at home. Later, he might set up a tiny cupcake stall in the courtyard, chatting with customers and counting his earnings, and later sit under a tree with a vibrant stack of books, fully absorbed in a world of ideas.

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Vedarth’s learning unfolds largely outside classrooms, shaped by everyday experiences and personal interests.

This is the everyday reality of nine-year-old Vedarth, whose family has chosen an alternative learning path known as unschooling.

A curious mind at work

Meet Vedarth — a boy whose learning happens largely through his surroundings, activities, and interests at home and outside. For him, every moment offers a chance to explore, create, and grow. He spends much of his time reading books he enjoys, attending robotics and LEGO workshops, and exploring hands-on projects that interest him.

Sessions spent tinkering with robots are balanced with helping out at home. He picks up life skills as naturally as he picks up new hobbies. After school, At times, Vedarth sets up small cupcake or chocolate stalls, using the experience to understand basic ideas around effort, exchange, and money.

Earning, saving, learning

Vedarth’s learning doesn’t stop there. With guidance from his mother, Vedarth has been introduced to saving and long-term thinking through SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans). Over time, he has saved a small amount of money, helping him understand patience, planning, and basic financial ideas.

The heart behind the journey

Behind this journey is his mother, Vrishuti, an architect who once reflected on her own schooling and what kind of learning experience she wanted her child’s early years to feel like. Inspired to give her son a childhood filled with curiosity, confidence, and real-world experience, she chose an alternative path known as unschooling — where learning is driven by interest, not syllabus.

Each morning, she and Vedarth would chart a flexible day plan. Each night, they’d sit together and ask:

“What did you learn today?”
“What didn’t work, and why?”

For nine years, this cycle of reflection has shaped Vedarth’s learning — one day, one question, one discovery at a time.

Unschooling as an approach is widely debated, with many educators emphasising the importance of social interaction, structure, and peer feedback in a child’s development. Families who choose alternative learning paths typically look for ways to create these experiences through sports, workshops, and group activities outside formal classrooms.

Learning that shows up in life

He plays tennis regularly and enjoys writing, experiences that form part of his broader learning journey. Today, Vedarth and his mother also support other families through unschooling workshops, sharing what they’ve learnt along the way.

Vedarth’s journey does not offer a blueprint for every child, but it adds to the larger conversation on how learning can take many forms when guided by curiosity and support.