The British Journal of Photography has a post featuring classrooms around the world, taken by Julian Germain.
I found them so attractive and thought provoking that I went to his page for the classroom project, which includes photos not included in that article. The international photos start around image 9.
They conveyed a lot not just in what each photo contained or lacked (though my eye was drawn to the stamp "donated by Ogean Energy" on a desk in a captionless photo--donors always having to get their due), but in their side-by-side contrasts. An all-black classroom in St. Louis, followed by an all-white classroom, also in St. Louis:
A class in Peru where everyone is in uniform, followed by another Peruvian classroom where the kids are in ordinary dress:
And, of course, classrooms of all boys or all girls.
Germain says,
This entry was originally posted at http://asakiyume.dreamwidth.org/861966.html. Comments are welcome at either location.
I found them so attractive and thought provoking that I went to his page for the classroom project, which includes photos not included in that article. The international photos start around image 9.
They conveyed a lot not just in what each photo contained or lacked (though my eye was drawn to the stamp "donated by Ogean Energy" on a desk in a captionless photo--donors always having to get their due), but in their side-by-side contrasts. An all-black classroom in St. Louis, followed by an all-white classroom, also in St. Louis:
A class in Peru where everyone is in uniform, followed by another Peruvian classroom where the kids are in ordinary dress:
And, of course, classrooms of all boys or all girls.
Germain says,
We are responsible for the world they’re growing up in ... Despite being absent from the images, adults permeate every corner of every image. I like to think the work is confrontational; hundreds and hundreds of children and young people looking back at us with such intensity. I find that challenging.
This entry was originally posted at http://asakiyume.dreamwidth.org/861966.html. Comments are welcome at either location.
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Comments
My bias is definitely to mix things together--sexes, ethnicities, abilities, etc. But I know that on the one hand, no setup is flawless, and on the other, that my bias is influenced by my upbringing, just like other people's. (I feel like I'm sounding preachy, and in case that's how it's sounding to you, too, I want to make it clear that the preaching is directed at myself, not you.)
I think what encourages me is how everywhere, in whatever circumstance, people are striving to get their kids educated--even in the face of big barriers or difficulties.