12 Fun Facts About Schools Around the World
We can all agree that education is a basic human right. However, each country has their own education system and their own way of doing things; and sometimes they have their quirks too. Here are some interesting facts about schools from around the world that you may not have known:
In Australia, the ‘School of the Air’ is a unique way of providing students who live in remote areas (referred to as “the bush”) access to an education, by using radio signals. These pupils are taught via a combination of homeschooling from parents and via the School of the Air.
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2. The largest school in the world, by student numbers, is the City Montessori School in India which currently has over 60,000 students, and 4,500 staff across 21 campuses.
City Montessori School website (https://www.cmseducation.org/
3. If you’re a student living in Chile who loves the holidays, you’re in luck! Summer holidays in the country last from the middle of December to early March and are said to be the longest in the world at a staggering 3 months long!
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4. However, the title for ‘country with the shortest school year’ belongs to France! Their school year does not exceed 36 weeks, with the average for other countries being around 40.
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5. In a remote area of Colombia, called Los Pinos, some students need to travel to school on a zipline up to 800m long! It’s far more convenient than walking through dense rainforest. I’d totally be waking up early for classes if this was my commute!
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6. Children in The Netherlands start school on their 4th birthday, so every day brings the possibility of someone new in the class! As a kid, do you remember how exciting that was?
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7. A lady from Venezuela holds the title for “longest career as a teacher” after serving for 87 years from 1911 to 1998! She has some serious passion!
Guinness World Records
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/65825-longest-career-as-a-teacher
8. In Russia, September 1st, also known as “Knowledge Day”, signifies the end of the summer holidays and the start of the new semester. Therefore, all students start school on this day each year… even if it falls on a weekend!
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9. Finland’s children don’t start official schooling until the age of 7. They do, however, have excellent pre-schools and daycares for younger children where the focus is not on maths, reading, or writing, but on creative play and good social habits instead.
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10. Due to the flooding issues faced by low-lying regions of Bangladesh, ‘boat schools’ have become an innovative new way to ensure all students have access to learning. Each boat has internet access, a library, and is sometimes solar-powered.
Commonwealth of Learning (col.org/news/floating-boat-schools-bangladesh)
11. A primary school in Phuma Changtang, Tibet, held the title of ‘highest school in the world’ at 5,022 meters above sea level before it’s closure in 2017 when the 100 students moved to a new school 500m lower.
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12. The world’s oldest school is Shishi High School in Chengdu of Sichuan province in China. Established during the Han dynasty in around 141 BCE, it is now a modern public high school.
International School Alliance China (isacteach.com)