25 Eye-opening Photos of Classrooms Around the World

What happens inside a classroom can change a child’s life forever. An educated child has the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. When you think about it, education is humanity’s greatest renewable resource.

But right now, there are 258 million children who won’t go to school this morning. Who won’t go to school on any morning.

Education is a human right, but it isn’t yet available to all the world’s children.

We’re rejoicing that as part of the Compassion programme, children are given the uniforms, fees and equipment to attend primary school. Plus, they receive extra educational support and lessons at their church-driven Compassion project!

Enjoy our fascinating tour of classrooms from some of the countries where Compassion works.

Getting an education in Ethiopia can be challenging for children. Gender discrimination, poverty, drought, food insecurity, and lack of parental education contribute to high dropout rates.

Education is compulsory for children in Mexico and it is considered to be the key to a better future, however in many cases it is still a struggle to get students enrolled. Here, sponsored children in Mexico explore their artistic side in a classroom at their Compassion project.

Education is free in Nicaragua, however, the cost of school supplies and limited transport options can make it difficult for children in rural areas to get to school.

Learning to love reading is a skill for life, and this boy in Honduras is getting a great start. Yet there are 617 million young people who cannot read or do basic maths.

Children in the richest 20 percent of the population get nearly nine more years of schooling, on average, than children in the poorest 20 percent. So it’s great to see these children in Kenya bucking the trend and making the most of their opportunities in the classroom!

Writing practice takes concentration! If you’d like to sponsor another child like this girl in Bolivia, you can help them get access to education and a route out of poverty.

In sub-Saharan Africa, getting girls into education is crucial to their future. But 40% of girls won’t be able to finish their lower secondary school.

Thanks to support from Compassion, Karunia, who was born with Apert Syndrome, loves learning and the friends she has made at school. Only 1/3 of disabled children in Indonesia are able to attend school.

Happy to learn, these children in Ethiopia are thriving in school.

Children in rural areas of El Salvador find it harder to get a good education, and only 50% of young people are in secondary school.

This girl in Tanzania is enjoying her opportunity to learn. Yet it’s estimated that more than four million children and young people are not in education because they have had to flee their homes because of war or natural disaster.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed more than 1,000 teachers, destroyed 85% of the schools in affected areas and disrupted studies for approximately 2.9 million children.

The nation then faced further disruption in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew struck, destroying Compassion project facilities like this classroom. 

School is a place to nurture hopes and dreams, in Kenya and across the world. Some Kenyan children face a particular challenge to their education: approximately 26% are engaged in child labour.

Every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition. Children attending the Compassion project, who may not have adequate food at home, receive lunch and two snacks at least once a week.

There are over 300,000 young people aged 15-24 who neither study nor work in El Salvador. Yet Compassion projects help young people to gain skills in literacy, numeracy and IT that will give them a better future.

School can be an exciting place for young Thai children, who often lack stimulation at home. Books are extremely limited, specifically in poor households. Fifty-nine percent of children under age 5 do not have at least three books at home.

The learning taking place in this classroom in Uganda will open doors for these children and give them a route out of poverty for the future.

Practising using scissors helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills for this girl in Honduras. On average, each additional year of education a child receives increases her or his adult earnings by about 10 percent. 

In Ethiopia, 55% of primary schools do not have electricity. As for enthusiasm, it looks like there’s plenty!

The academic year looks a bit different in the Philippines. School begins in June and ends in March.

In Indonesia, 1 in 10 children do not make the transition from primary school to secondary school.

In the Dominican Republic children require birth certificates to access secondary school, which can limit admission and mean some children are unable to continue their education.

In Colombia, children attend school in the mornings and are free to attend Compassion programmes in the afternoons to support their studies and their wellbeing.

Getting creative is an important part of learning in school, helping children to express themselves. It can be especially useful as therapy if a child has experienced trauma or disruption to their lives.

If you’ve been inspired to support a child’s education and help to change their future, you can sponsor a child with Compassion.