Schools around the world

Schools around the world

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Nearly three years after Taliban gunmen shot Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, the teenage activist challenged world leaders at the United Nations to help millions more children go to school.

Her call last week comes ahead of World Teachers' Day on October 5, a UNESCO initiative highlighting the work of educators struggling to teach children amid intimidation in Pakistan, conflict in Syria or poverty in Vietnam.

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Around 120 million children are out of school and a further 250 million are illiterate despite attending school, the World Bank said in May.

But there have been some improvements.

The number of children not attending primary school has plummeted to an estimated 57 million worldwide in 2015, the U.N. says. Fifteen years ago, when the Millennium Development Goals called for universal primary school education, 100 million children were out of primary school.

Worldwide, the number of schools is growing rapidly - both private schools for the middle class and wealthy and cash-strapped government schools in places like Kenya, where poorly paid teachers have downed tools to demand more pay.

Many schools lack teachers, chairs, electricity or books. Others even lack buildings.

But children seem willing to learn anywhere. Classes are in corridors in the Philippines, onboard boats in Brazil or in a local park in Pakistan.

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Children of the floating Municipal School Sao Jose II pose for picture along the banks of the Amazonas River in the rural area of Manaus.
. Manaus, Brazil. Reuters/Bruno Kelly

Children of the floating Municipal School Sao Jose II pose for picture along the banks of the Amazonas River in the rural area of Manaus.

Children of the Satere Mawe Indian tribe school at the Sahu Ape village in Manacapuru, Amazonas state, Brazil pose for a photo.
. Manacapuru, Brazil. Reuters/Bruno Kelly

Children of the Satere Mawe Indian tribe school at the Sahu Ape village in Manacapuru, Amazonas state, Brazil pose for a photo.

First grade high school students from the Dante Alighieri school pose for pictures in their classroom in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
. Sao Paulo, Brazil. Reuters/Paulo Whitaker

First grade high school students from the Dante Alighieri school pose for pictures in their classroom in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Students of primary grade attend a night school for adults at Laura Vicuna school, in a popular neighbourhood of Santiago, Chile.
. Santiago, Chile. Reuters/Ivan Alvarado

Students of primary grade attend a night school for adults at Laura Vicuna school, in a popular neighbourhood of Santiago, Chile.

Students of the rural school Agustin Ferreira in the outskirts of  Minas city, in the northeast of Montevideo, Uruguay, pose with their teacher. The school has 12 students aged 4 to 11, with only one teacher. Educational activities include milking a cow, planting vegetables and cooking.
. Montevideo, Uruguay. Reuters/Andres Stapff

Students of the rural school Agustin Ferreira in the outskirts of Minas city, in the northeast of Montevideo, Uruguay, pose with their teacher. The school has 12 students aged 4 to 11, with only one teacher. Educational activities include milking a cow, planting vegetables and cooking.

Students of the Don Bosco Technical Collegue pose for a photo in Quito, Ecuador.
. Quito, Ecuador. Reeuters/Guillermo Granja

Students of the Don Bosco Technical Collegue pose for a photo in Quito, Ecuador.

Students and their principal at Semillas de Esperanza (Seeds of Hope) school pose for a photo in Soacha, near Bogota, Colombia.
. Bogota, Colombia. Reuters/John Vizcaino

Students and their principal at Semillas de Esperanza (Seeds of Hope) school pose for a photo in Soacha, near Bogota, Colombia.

Year 10 high school students from a vocational program with a maritime focus pose for a photograph at Artes y Oficios Melchor Lasso de la Vega school in Panama City, Panama.
. Panama City, Panama. Reuters/Carlos Jasso

Year 10 high school students from a vocational program with a maritime focus pose for a photograph at Artes y Oficios Melchor Lasso de la Vega school in Panama City, Panama.

Teachers Carla Smith and Laura Johnson pose for a photo with their 3rd grade class at Jesse Sherwood Elementary School in the Englewood neighbourhood of Chicago, United States.
. Willowbrook, United States. Reuters/Jim Young

Teachers Carla Smith and Laura Johnson pose for a photo with their 3rd grade class at Jesse Sherwood Elementary School in the Englewood neighbourhood of Chicago, United States.

Teacher Elizabeth Moguel poses for a photograph with her 7th grade Latin class at Boston Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s the oldest public school in the United States, founded in 1635.
. Boston, United States. Reuters/Brian Snyder

Teacher Elizabeth Moguel poses for a photograph with her 7th grade Latin class at Boston Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s the oldest public school in the United States, founded in 1635.

Kathy Stauch's 9th grade French-immersion geography class is pictured at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1843, Lisgar Collegiate is a public secondary school in downtown Ottawa, a few blocks from Parliament Hill.
. Ottawa, Canada. Reuters/Chris Wattie

Kathy Stauch's 9th grade French-immersion geography class is pictured at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1843, Lisgar Collegiate is a public secondary school in downtown Ottawa, a few blocks from Parliament Hill.

A 12th grade class at Khabazela High School pose for a picture in thier classroom in eMbo west of Durban, South Africa.
. Durban, South Africa. Reuters/Rogan Ward

A 12th grade class at Khabazela High School pose for a picture in thier classroom in eMbo west of Durban, South Africa.

Schoolchildren pose for a picture at Sekano-Ntoane school in Soweto, south west of Johannesburg, South Africa.
. Soweto, South Africa. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

Schoolchildren pose for a picture at Sekano-Ntoane school in Soweto, south west of Johannesburg, South Africa.

A teacher leads a class at the ecole primaire Ave Marie in Burundi's capital Bujumbura.
. Bujumbura. Reuters/Thomas Mukoya

A teacher leads a class at the ecole primaire Ave Marie in Burundi's capital Bujumbura.

Class one children, aged between 6 and 7 years old, pose for a photo in their classroom at Gifted Hands Educational Centre in Kenya's Kibera slum in the capital Nairobi.
. Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters/Noor Khamis

Class one children, aged between 6 and 7 years old, pose for a photo in their classroom at Gifted Hands Educational Centre in Kenya's Kibera slum in the capital Nairobi.

Pupils listen to a teacher during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco.
. Rabat, Morocco. Reuters/Youssef Boudlal

Pupils listen to a teacher during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco.

Students cross their arms and listen to their teacher at Al Hakim El Kassar Primary School in Tunis, Tunisia.
. Tunis, Tunisia. Reuters/Anis Mili

Students cross their arms and listen to their teacher at Al Hakim El Kassar Primary School in Tunis, Tunisia.

A class from the San Frantzisko public primary school take part in a group photo with their teacher in the Basque fishing town of Bermeo, northern Spain.
. Bermeo, Spain. Reuters/Vincent West

A class from the San Frantzisko public primary school take part in a group photo with their teacher in the Basque fishing town of Bermeo, northern Spain.

Primary 7 pupils from Glenaan Primary School in the Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland, pose for a group picture with their teacher and school principal, Mr. Close.
. Glenaan, United Kingdom. Reuters/Cathal Mc Naughton

Primary 7 pupils from Glenaan Primary School in the Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland, pose for a group picture with their teacher and school principal, Mr. Close.

Year 9 Biology students pose for a picture with teacher Suzanne Veitch at Forest School, London.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Russell Boyce

Year 9 Biology students pose for a picture with teacher Suzanne Veitch at Forest School, London.

Students in Dr. Hugh McCormick's lower sixth politics division (year 12) sit in their classroom in Old Schools at Harrow School northwest of London, Britain. Notable Old Harrovians include Winston Churchill, King Hussein of Jordan, Lord Byron, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

Students in Dr. Hugh McCormick's lower sixth politics division (year 12) sit in their classroom in Old Schools at Harrow School northwest of London, Britain. Notable Old Harrovians include Winston Churchill, King Hussein of Jordan, Lord Byron, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Students in Irena Chmura's Salusbury World class, which includes students from year 1 to year 6, pose in their classroom in London, Britain. Salusbury World is a charity that supports refugee and asylum-seeking children and families. Established in 1999, it was the first refugee centre to be set up within a primary school.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

Students in Irena Chmura's Salusbury World class, which includes students from year 1 to year 6, pose in their classroom in London, Britain. Salusbury World is a charity that supports refugee and asylum-seeking children and families. Established in 1999, it was the first refugee centre to be set up within a primary school.

Year 5 schoolchildren pose for a photograph at a public school in Tbilisi, Georgia.
. Tbilisi, Georgia. Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili

Year 5 schoolchildren pose for a photograph at a public school in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Art teacher Hanna Snitko poses for a picture with final year students, aged 16 to 17, at the Ukrainian Humanities Lyceum in Kiev, Ukraine.
. Kiev, Ukraine. Reuters/Gleb Garanich

Art teacher Hanna Snitko poses for a picture with final year students, aged 16 to 17, at the Ukrainian Humanities Lyceum in Kiev, Ukraine.

Students of the 10th form of the Gymnasium 1567 pose for a group portrait with their History teacher, Tamara Eidelman, in Moscow, Russia.
Moscow, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Students of the 10th form of the Gymnasium 1567 pose for a group portrait with their History teacher, Tamara Eidelman, in Moscow, Russia.

Mohammed Zurob marks an exercise for his 1st grade students during an English lesson at Taha Huseen elementary school in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
. Rafah, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Mohammed Zurob marks an exercise for his 1st grade students during an English lesson at Taha Huseen elementary school in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Hanan Anzi, a teacher, poses for a picture with Syrian refugee students at a UNICEF school in Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria.
. Mafraq, Jordan. Reuters/Muhammad Hamed

Hanan Anzi, a teacher, poses for a picture with Syrian refugee students at a UNICEF school in Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria.

Afghan class 11 students study at Zarghona high school in Kabul, Afghanistan.
. Kabul, Afghanistan. Reuters/Omar Sobhani

Afghan class 11 students study at Zarghona high school in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Afghan girls study in an open area, founded by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), outside Jalalabad city, Afghanistan.
. Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Reuters/Parwiz

Afghan girls study in an open area, founded by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), outside Jalalabad city, Afghanistan.

Third-grade level students attend class at the Mashal Model School on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. The Mashal Model School, founded by Zeba Husain, caters to children of underprivileged families from different parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan living in the village of Bari Imam. Outside of school the pupils are street vendors, scavengers, beggars and car washers.
. Islamabad, Pakistan. Reuters/Caren Firouz

Third-grade level students attend class at the Mashal Model School on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. The Mashal Model School, founded by Zeba Husain, caters to children of underprivileged families from different parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan living in the village of Bari Imam. Outside of school the pupils are street vendors, scavengers, beggars and car washers.

Master Mohammad Ayoub poses with his 5th grade students at a local park in Islamabad, Pakistan. Ayoub, a Pakistani civil servant, started his programme to educate underprivileged children in 1985. Ayoub provides educational supplies from his income as a civil servant, while volunteers and his students teach children English, Urdu and maths. Their classroom is in a local park during fair weather and a room in the local slum in the rainy season.
. Islamabad, Pakistan. Reuters/Caren Firouz

Master Mohammad Ayoub poses with his 5th grade students at a local park in Islamabad, Pakistan. Ayoub, a Pakistani civil servant, started his programme to educate underprivileged children in 1985. Ayoub provides educational supplies from his income as a civil servant, while volunteers and his students teach children English, Urdu and maths. Their classroom is in a local park during fair weather and a room in the local slum in the rainy season.

Archana Shori poses for a picture with her students in their classroom at Rukmini Devi Public school in New Delhi, India.
. New Delhi, India. Reuters/Adnan Abidi

Archana Shori poses for a picture with her students in their classroom at Rukmini Devi Public school in New Delhi, India.

Tahfiz or koranic students pose for a photograph in Madrasah Nurul Iman boarding school outside Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. There are 36 male students at the madrasah aged from 11 to 18.
. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Tahfiz or koranic students pose for a photograph in Madrasah Nurul Iman boarding school outside Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. There are 36 male students at the madrasah aged from 11 to 18.

Teacher Kristine Passag holds a Values Education class for 9th grade students in the hallway of Timoteo Paez High School in metro Manila, Philippines. Passag is holding lessons in hallways while awaiting the completion of a new school buidling to address a shortage of classrooms.
. Metro Manila, Philippines. Reuters/Romeo Ranoco

Teacher Kristine Passag holds a Values Education class for 9th grade students in the hallway of Timoteo Paez High School in metro Manila, Philippines. Passag is holding lessons in hallways while awaiting the completion of a new school buidling to address a shortage of classrooms.

Students of first grade and their class teacher, Teruko Takakusaki, pose for a photo during their homeroom period at the end of the school day at the Takinogawa Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan.
. Tokyo, Japan. Reuters/Toru Hanai

Students of first grade and their class teacher, Teruko Takakusaki, pose for a photo during their homeroom period at the end of the school day at the Takinogawa Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan.

Syrian refugee pupils wait for the start of their first lesson of the year at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Primary School in Ankara, Turkey.
. Ankara, Turkey. Reuters/Umit Bektas

Syrian refugee pupils wait for the start of their first lesson of the year at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Primary School in Ankara, Turkey.