Essays from children around the world

These essays by children are from my collection of clippings from foreign newspapers and magazines. Read how they go to school, what they do in school and after school. Some are not as lucky as you readers. They have to work before going to school or after school.

by Sumana Saparamadu

Ashok from India writes

We start school at eight o'clock in the morning and finish at 2 o'clock.

At school, I learn many subjects. I like drawing very much. Drawing is now my hobby. I have drawn a picture of Mahatma Gandhi.

I like painting too. Painting a picture is very interesting. I know now how to make different colours and how to use them. I like singing also.

In the evening, I play with my friends. We play in the garden for about an hour and a half. I love playing cricket. We practise running and jumping. Sometimes I go swimming in the swimming pool.

On Sundays we have no work to do. So, we visit friends. Some of us go shopping too. Sometimes we go to the seaside.

Can you write a short account like this about what you learn at school, and what games you play, what you enjoy doing?


 

Vera Tavres from Cape Verde, Africa writes

I am Vera Tavres, I am seven-years-old.

We live on one of the Cape Verde islands. Cape Verde is a group of islands off the coast of Africa.

Our house is on a steep hill. It is a tiny white house.I go to school in Sao Domingos. Our school is very new. About 1000 children attend classes in 3 shifts.We get meals at school.

I walk to school. Part of the way I walk with my friend Nelson Carvalho.

I am the eldest in our family. So, I work hard at home.Before going to school, I wash dishes. I pound maize. I fetch water.My mother says I must work at home because I am the eldest.But she wants me to study too, to get a good job.




 

Andrew from England writes

Yesterday I got up early and went to the market with my mother.I always go to the market with her on Saturday.We got home at 10 o'clock. Then I went out to play football.In the afternoon I went to play football again. So, I played football twice.In the evening my father gave some money to go to the cinema, with John. John is my younger brother.

We both like to go to the cinema. But father doesn't give us money every week to go to the cinema.

First there were some short films. Then the long film. It was a funny film.We got home at 9 o'clock.We had supper and went to bed.This morning we went to church.Sometimes we go to the sea side on Sunday mornings, but today we went to church.This afternoon father took us to the gardens.We had our supper early.Now I am in my bedroom writing.The clock is striking 9.

Soon I shall go to bed because I must go to school tomorrow.
 

Nelson Carvalho writes from Cape Verde, Africa

I am seven-years-old.

Before leaving for school, I feed the pigs and goats, the cow and the donkey. I fetch drinking water.

I walk down a sandy path and up a steep hill. I carry a 5-litre jar on my head. It takes about 20 minutes to fetch the water.Our school starts at noon.I walk to school in the sun. I have no shoes, so I walk barefoot. It takes about one hour to reach the school.

I am very tired when I reach the school. But we get a glass of milk and a pear from the school canteen.Before leaving school, in the mid-afternoon, we get a bowl of rice and curried chicken or a hearty soup.

The food is provided by the World Food Program.

Rosaline Chan Yuen from Hong Kong writes

My school is far from where I live. I go to school by bus. The journey takes about 20 minutes. On the way to school, I pass a park, a bank, a post office and many tall factory buildings.

I see many people walking briskly in the streets, hurrying to their work.I also see groups of children, carrying schoolbags, on their way to school.

At the bus stops there are queues of people waiting patiently.I think the route to my school is interesting.