Flickr: Camilla Rivera
After reading through, #ShowYourSelfie to tell world leaders you care about the rights of adolescents and youth.
When I think back to my elementary school I’m reminded of bright alphabet rugs, desks filled with pencil boxes and markers, a combination of black boards and white boards, and old school computers.
I thought this was a standard desciption of a classroom. But around the world, it turns out, they are actually all extremely varied.
Check out these 16 classes, for example (I should note, they’re not necessarily representative of all classrooms from their respective countries) :
1. A Grade 2 classroom in Sri Lanka
2. Gudele West Basic School, outside Juba, South Sudan
3. Cambodia
4. Koulikoro, Mali
5. Malawi
6. Ayno Meena Number Two School in Kandahar, Afghanistan
7. Science class in Hyderabad, India
8. Marikaini Government School in Kenya
9. India
10. Cameroon
11. Cambodia
12. Albania
13. A level 6 class of 10-13 year-olds in Peru
14. Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
15. Embu Urban Primary School, Kenya
16. Vietnam
As evidenced by these photos, kids learn in all different spaces and under different conditions. What’s important is that they have a place to learn so that they can have a better opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
A lot of progress has been made on this front thanks to organizations like the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) but we still have a ways to go. In addition to increasing enrollment, we must ensure that all students are receiving an affordable, quality education. That’s why we’re so excited about Raj Shah, Administrator of USAID’s recent announcement in Washington, D.C. at the Thank You Festival.
Administrator Shah announced to a crowd of 19,000 that because of Global Citizens’ persistence and insistence, USAID will double its commitment to GPE to $40 million this year so it can continue doing its great work!. And even better, USAID will work with the US Congress to pledge $50 million next year.
For kids in developing countries the implications are HUGE. Well done Global Citizens! This is news to celebrate...
You can watch Administrator Shah sharing the good news here.
-----