The next time your child complains about having to go to school, consider having him tune into PBS’ Time for School 3. The 12-year documentary project chronicling the lives of young children desperately trying to secure basic education is as heart wrenching as it is informative.
You’ll have a pit in your stomach by the end of the show. I did.
Time for School 3 is the continuation of the documentary, which started filming in 2002. The series takes viewers inside seven classrooms in seven countries and offers a glimpse into the lives of seven extraordinary children who are practically begging for what nearly all American kids take for granted: a basic education. The documentary chronicles the lives of young students in Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya and Romania, despite the greatest odds.
The first two installments, Time for School and Back to School aired in 2004 and 2006, respectively. The first series introduced the children as they started school, and the subsequent installment checked up on them two years later. The newest edition revisits the students, who are now teenagers.
If you missed Wednesday’s episode you can catch another on September 12th (check you local listings for exact times), that’s when you’ll meet 16-year-old Shugufa, a girl from Afghanistan, who dreams of becoming an engineer, journalist, or doctor. Unfortunately, the teen has trouble focusing on her future aspirations because she resides in one of the most violent neighborhoods in the world, and must concentrate on just staying alive.
Shugufa faces daily attacks by the Taliban (which closed down 600 schools last year) and is made to complete so many household chores that she barely has time to study.
The teen explains: “Only girls in the family are made to do chores while boys play. If boys do housework in Afghanistan, they get laughed at.”
Yet, the high school student is not deterred. In fact, her challenges seem to strengthen her resolve to succeed.
“Who doesn’t love school?” asks Shugufa.
Apparently, not everyone has the same determination as Shugufa. According to the documentary, 75 percent of Afghani girls drop out of school by age 16.
Despite the huge obstacles in her way, Shugufa is committed to finishing school. The teen happily shares her love of learning and her desire to continue her education regardless of how hard she must work to do so.
When was the last time you heard the same comments being made by American teens?
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