PHOTOS: Take a Round-the-World Tour of the Return to School

A teacher gives a lesson on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 4, 2023. — Young cadets sing the national anthem during a ceremony on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 4, 2023.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP

International Photos

PHOTOS: Take a Round-the-World Tour of the Return to School

By Jaclyn Borowski — September 15, 2023 1 min read

International Photos

PHOTOS: Take a Round-the-World Tour of the Return to School

By Jaclyn Borowski — September 15, 2023 1 min read

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By mid-September, schools across the United States are back in session. Globally, students are back in school buildings as well. Depending on the hemisphere, some are at the beginning of another school year, while others are near the midway point. Here’s a late-summer peek inside schools around the world.

Estonia

A schoolgirl wearing an Estonian traditional school uniform carries flowers in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sept. 1, 2023. Estonian schools reopen on Sept. 1 after the summer holidays. — A schoolgirl wearing an Estonian traditional school uniform carries flowers in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sept. 1, 2023. Estonian schools reopen on Sept. 1 after the summer holidays.
Pavel Golovkin/AP

Great Britain

Pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic School, Brixton arrive at St Martin's in the Field Girls' School in London on Sept. 5, 2023. — Pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic School, in the Brixton district south of London, arrive at St. Martin's in the Field Girls' School in London on Sept. 5, 2023.
Yui Mok/PA via AP

Haiti

A classroom sits empty at the closed National School of Republique des Etats-Unis d'Amerique, a public school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sept. 11, 2023, on what should be the first day back to school after summer break. According to a few teachers and a parent on site, classes did not resume due to parents' inability to afford tuition, uniforms and school supplies, as well as families being afraid to go out amid gang violence. — A classroom sits empty at the closed National School of Republique des Etats-Unis d'Amerique, a public school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sept. 11, 2023, on what should have been the first day back to school after summer break. According to a few teachers and a parent on site, classes did not resume due to parents' inability to afford tuition, uniforms and school supplies, as well as families being afraid to go out amid gang violence.
Odelyn Joseph/AP

India

School children perform a drama at an event on the occasion of Hindu festival Janmashtami in Kolkata, India, on Sept. 6, 2023. Janmashtami celebrates the birthday of Krishna. — Schoolchildren perform a drama at an event on the occasion of the Hindu festival Janmashtami in Kolkata, India, on Sept. 6, 2023. Janmashtami celebrates the birthday of Krishna.
Bikas Das/AP

Schoolchildren attempt to break the "Dahi handi," an earthen pot filled with curd, as part of celebrations to mark Janmashtami festival at Shivaji Shikshan Sanstha school in Mumbai, India, on Sept. 5, 2023. The festival marks the birth of Hindu god Krishna and the act seeks to reenact the story of Lord Krishna stealing butter during his childhood. — Schoolchildren attempt to break the "Dahi handi," an earthen pot filled with curd, as part of celebrations to mark Janmashtami festival at Shivaji Shikshan Sanstha school in Mumbai, India, on Sept. 5, 2023.
Rajanish kakade/AP

Lithuania

First graders eat ice cream lollies as they wait for the start of their first day in school, an occasion known as the Day of Knowledge, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 1, 2023. — First graders eat ice cream lollies as they wait for the start of their first day in school, an occasion known as the Day of Knowledge, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 1, 2023.
Mindaugas Kulbis/AP

Norway

Children take part in a hike offered through the Norwegian Tourism Association in Brekkeskogen, Norway, on Aug. 30, 2023. As many as 11,000 pre-school kids started their day this week hiking routes around kindergartens in Norway. “We hope we can inspire the kids to be outdoor children”, said Kristin Oftedal of the Norwegian Trekking Association, a volunteer organization which aims to promote outdoor activities. “We believe outdoor children are happy children”. — Children take part in a hike offered through the Norwegian Tourism Association in Brekkeskogen, Norway, on Aug. 30, 2023. As many as 11,000 preschoolers started their day hiking routes around kindergartens in Norway. “We hope we can inspire the kids to be outdoor children,” said Kristin Oftedal of the Norwegian Trekking Association, a volunteer organization which aims to promote outdoor activities. “We believe outdoor children are happy children.”
Emilie Holtet/NTB via AP

Romania

A teacher adjusts the posture of a little boy as children attend a school opening ceremony in Ghergani, Romania on Sept. 11, 2023. — A teacher adjusts the posture of a little boy as children attend a school opening ceremony in Ghergani, Romania, on Sept. 11, 2023.
Vadim Ghirda/AP

A girl walks with family members to a school opening ceremony in Ghergani, Romania, on Sept. 11, 2023. — A girl walks with family members to a school opening ceremony in Ghergani, Romania, on Sept. 11, 2023.
Vadim Ghirda/AP

Russia

First graders take part in a ceremony marking the start of classes at a school as part of the traditional opening of the school year known as "Day of Knowledge" in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sept. 1, 2023. Many schools across the country reopen on Sept. 1. — First graders take part in a ceremony marking the traditional opening of the school year known as "Day of Knowledge" in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 1, 2023. Many schools across the country reopened on Sept. 1.
Dmitri Lovetsky/AP

Sweden

A child practices handwriting at the Djurgardsskolan elementary school in Stockholm, Sweden on Aug. 31, 2023. — A child practices handwriting at Djurgardsskolan elementary school in Stockholm, Sweden, on Aug. 31, 2023. As children across Sweden have returned to school after the summer vacation, many of their teachers are putting a new emphasis on printed books, quiet reading hours, and practicing handwriting as the country's yearslong focus on the digitalization of classrooms has come under scrutiny.
David Keyton/AP

Students read at the Djurgardsskolan elementary school in Stockholm, Sweden on Aug. 31, 2023. As children across Sweden have recently flocked back to school after the summer vacation, many of their teachers are putting a new emphasis on printed books, quiet reading hours, and practicing handwriting as the country's years-long focus on the digitalization of classrooms has come under scrutiny. — Students read at the Djurgardsskolan elementary school in Stockholm, Sweden on Aug. 31, 2023.
David Keyton/AP

Ukraine

Young cadets sing the national anthem during a ceremony on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 4, 2023. — Young cadets sing the national anthem during a ceremony on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 4, 2023.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP

Schoolchildren attend a ceremony for the first day of school in a safe place in an underground subway station, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2023. — Schoolchildren attend a ceremony for the first day of school in a safe place in an underground subway station, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2023.
Mstyslav Chernov/AP

Schoolchildren dance as they attend a ceremony on the first day in school in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Sept. 1, 2023. Ukraine marks Sept. 1 as Knowledge Day, a traditional launch of the academic year. — Schoolchildren dance as they attend a ceremony on the first day of school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2023. Ukraine marks Sept. 1 as Knowledge Day, a traditional launch of the academic year.
Mstyslav Chernov/AP

Jaclyn Borowski

Director of Photography & Videography, Education Week

Jaclyn Borowski is the director of photography and videography for Education Week.

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