A teacher gives a lesson on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 4, 2023.
Federal Photos

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

By Jaclyn Borowski — September 15, 2023 1 min read
Federal Photos

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

By Jaclyn Borowski — September 15, 2023 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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”.

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 girl walks with family members to a school opening ceremony in Ghergani, Romania, on Sept. 11, 2023.

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.

Sweden

A child practices handwriting at the Djurgardsskolan elementary school in Stockholm, Sweden on Aug. 31, 2023.
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.

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.
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 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.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Beyond Teacher Tools: Exploring AI for Student Success
Teacher AI tools only show assigned work. See how TrekAi's student-facing approach reveals authentic learning needs and drives real success.
Content provided by TrekAi
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Building for the Future: Igniting Middle Schoolers’ Interest in Skilled Trades & Future-Ready Skills
Ignite middle schoolers’ interest in skilled trades with hands-on learning and real-world projects that build future-ready skills.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Ed. Dept. Hangs Banner of Charlie Kirk Alongside MLK Jr., Ben Franklin
It's part of a celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.
1 min read
New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher and Charlie Kirk hang from the Department of Education, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Washington.
New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher, and Charlie Kirk hang from the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2026, in Washington.
Allison Robbert/AP
Federal Ed. Dept. Wants to Revamp Assistance Program It Calls 'Duplicative,' 'Confusing'
The department's Comprehensive Centers have already been through a year of shakeups.
3 min read
A first grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, on Feb. 12, 2026.
A 1st grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. The U.S. Department of Education released a proposal to rework a decades-old program charged with helping states and school districts problem-solve and deploy new initiatives, calling the current structure “duplicative” and “confusing.”
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Federal Will the Ed. Dept. Act on Recommendations to Overhaul Its Research Arm?
An adviser's report called for more coherence and sped-up research awards at the Institute of Education Sciences.
6 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025. A new report from a department adviser calls for major overhauls to the agency's research arm to facilitate timely research and easier-to-use guides for educators and state leaders.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal Trump Talks Up AI in State of the Union, But Not Much Else About Education
The president didn't mention two of his cornerstone education policies from the past year.
4 min read
President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The president devoted little time in the speech to discussing his education policies.
Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool