\swarm it^ is the umbrella community of those who believe in the potential of this operating system for education. There is no discrimination by age: any one of any age can be a student (or, as we call it, a Bee) - and everyone in the community is a Bee, who is learning with other Bees.
There will be communication platforms, initially a Discord server, to facilitate communication and the discovery of others with whom to form smaller communities based on shared experiences, shared goals/interests, or even by physical location (especially for communities that choose to interact in in-person and hybrid modes).
Notes:
- \swarm it^ will be launched in Colombo, Sri Lanka as the founders are based there, and then expand based on networks of trust. The initial Bees will be those, adults and children, who have experienced this operating system in an in-person setting and families known to them (because trust is the foundation of a community)
- While there will be no age-based discrimination, \swarm it^ will initially prioritize young people (and any adults who wish to support them), because it is often their agency, autonomy and rights that are most violated by the mainstreamed hegemony of education.
- We are guided by international Human Rights law, particularly the Rights of the Child - this includes Children's Rights in the Digital environment - families that do not respect this right will not be able to access the communication platform.
It is not necessary for children who are currently enrolled in schools in hegemonic education to leave those schools if they presently serves some of the children's needs - \swarm it^ can complement it. For example, it is possible for children to be in school during regular school hours and participate in \swarm it^ after school and during holidays.
There are no authority roles* (Senior Students, Prefects, Teachers, Administrators, etc) who have the power to decide the education of another Bee. Nobody can prescribe what another Bee must learn, when, how, etc. and no one can demand that they prove their learning to you.
However, any Bee who wishes to, can lean into other Bees who they trust to support them - for as long as all Bees consent to it. This includes onboarding support (if requested) to rediscover autonomy that has been over-ridden by the hegemonic system.
Communities are largely free to agree on their goals and approaches, while being conscious of potential prejudice or discrimination. There will be some number of safety rules, especially regarding minors. As far as is possible, any conflicts that arise will be addressed through restorative practices.
* there are Stewards to maintain the platform, to guarantee support for onboarding / restorative practices to those who wish it, and to enforce the safety rules.