This year International Day of Education, founded by UNESCO, falls on 24 January and celebrates the role of education for peace and development.

The Queen’s Baton Relay aims to ignite hope and collaboration between the communities across the Commonwealth, helping to educate young people about other cultures and the shared similarities.

The youth of the Commonwealth are our future and having access to a competent education is immensely important for children’s development.

Since the beginning of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay, the Baton has visited numerous schools, inspiring children throughout the Commonwealth.

Let’s take a look at some of the incredible schools we’ve visited so far.

Ceylon School For The Deaf And Blind, Sri Lanka

The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) operates three residential institutes across Sri Lanka, which provide specialised programs to support the learning of children with visual and auditory impairments. The school was founded in 1912 with just two students and they now are providing care and education to approximately 600 children, free of charge, relying on donations and government grants. The schools offer immeasurable support to children, who otherwise may not have had the chance to receive an adequate education.

Sekolah Kebangsaan Runchang School, Malaysia

Samuel Isaiah started teaching at Sekolah Kebangsaan Runchang school in 2012 and found demotivated students, low attendance, and a pass rate of only 30% in English. Driven by his desire to support the children, he came at teaching with a new approach.

Samuel started travelling 125 miles each way to the Orang Asli’s settlements in the forest, where he introduced learning based on his students’ culture and music, to be able to engage with them more. Through crowdfunding Samuel was able to rejuvenate his classroom and provide learning technology for each child.

Adapting a new way of teaching and embracing the Orang Asli culture led to his number of students growing rapidly from 10 to 120, including children with special education needs. His efforts were met with success as the English pass rate shot up from 30% to 80% in only three years.

Visiting Every School In St Helena

St Helena has three primary schools and one secondary school on the island, which are all free to attend, making education accessible to every child on the remote island. Although there aren’t any post-secondary school education options, the government offers a study abroad scholarship to help students reach further learning opportunities.

Bangladesh Krira Shikkhahtan, Bangladesh

The BKSP is Bangladesh’s national sports institute and provides students with a general education from secondary school to degree level, as well as specialised sports training. Places at the school are available for both boys and girls. The school is fully residential and provides for the students’ basic and medical needs as well as sports materials. Furthermore, to make the school as accessible as possible, the tuition fees are based on family income, so no one is without a chance.

Educational resources are now available for download to learn more about the Queen’s Baton Relay. The online educational resources are tailored for Reception, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2, to help children learn about the Queen’s Baton Relay and its values.