'Dear teacher, I cannot come to school’: the girls forced out of education
Why girls are being denied the right to go to school and what they have to say.
Remember the notes you had to send your teachers when you were at school?
From permission slips for school trips and excuses when you forgot your PE kit. To absence notes when you were sick or couldn’t make it in because of snow.
But imagine if you had to drop out of school for good. What would that note say?
Unfortunately, being forced out of the classroom is a reality for too many girls around the world.
Globally 40% of girls don’t finish secondary school - despite a global agreement that every child deserves 12 years of quality education.
But the odds are stacked against girls. Poverty forces girls’ hands, often into marriage. Conflict puts school out of girls’ reach. Discrimination holds girls back. And it gets even tougher as girls move through adolescence.
So, what would the girls in the 40% say?
We’ve imagined a set of absence notes to teachers, as if written by girls forced out of school. And while the notes are imagined, the stories – and the girls behind them – are very real.
'Our home was bombed’
Suhad, 14, is now living inside a school in Gaza. She moved here after her home was destroyed during the recent conflict.
“After the attack, our house was bombed, my father’s workplace was bombed. Our neighbourhood was bombed. We saw that half our teachers were gone. Many people were killed, some of my friends were killed. I spend my days in a school.
Suhad misses her old life when she was able to go to school to study, and live a peaceful life.
“My favorite memories before the war were sitting in our garden, hanging out together, and going to school without being terrified. Me and my friends would play outside. A normal life. We liked simple things. We did the same as any other family. Back then, we didn’t need anyone to give us food, drink or money.”
“My message to the world is that they look on us with mercy. We are children and our rights are being denied to us.”
‘I was forced to marry’
Mariam*, 18, is a mother of a two-year-old daughter from Mali.
Her education was severely disrupted after being forced into child marriage when she was just 15.
“I didn’t know my husband, no one asked my opinion. I fell behind in my studies.
“I can't think of any reason why my parents wanted to give me away in marriage. I think adults don't value girls' education.
“I had to find a solution to continue my studies or at least pass my exams.
Mariam approached her local community leaders for help. With the support of Plan International, they were able to meet and mediate with her family. Now Mariam has been able to return to school.
“I sincerely wish to pass my exam and continue my studies. I want to join a health school even though I know that it won't be easy.”
'We had to flee the conflict’
Angham, 14, was displaced from her home city due to the conflict in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023.
Now, like Suhad in Gaza, she is living in a school for shelter.
“I have five siblings and we all live here. I miss my home, my bedroom, and everything I left behind.
“We eat and sleep in the office. I miss my friends, I don’t know what happened to them. I miss my teachers and school. Life here is harsh. We sleep on the ground. We don’t know what the future will be like.”
Facing these obstacles every day, Angham still thinks about her education and what it means for her future.
“We don’t go to school. My grandmother is a teacher. She sometimes gives us lessons, so we don’t forget what we learned. Our dreams have been shattered. My dream was to become a doctor like my father.”
“I hope that peace comes back to the country. On behalf of all the girls of Sudan, I appeal to the leaders of the country to solve these problems and return us to our homes and schools.”
'My brothers went to school instead of me’
Until recently, Diatou, 12, from Mali, had never been to school. Her mother had only sent her brothers. When resources are scarce, families often unfairly favour boys’ education over girls’, due to deep-rooted gender norms and expectations in their communities.
“When my brothers went to school and left me alone at home I was not happy at all. Sometimes I followed them to school and spied on them from outside.”
Now Diatou is going to class with the help of a 'speed school' run by Plan International. This provides opportunities for out-of-school children to learn.
“I love studying and I really enjoy French. I'm happy to be among the best in my class. I would like to continue my studies and become a doctor. Succeeding in life will allow me to support my mother.”
Change for the 40%
Want to change the odds for girls like Suhad, Mariam, Angham and Diatou?
Together we can match their determination and create change. So that every girl can take a seat in the classroom – and stay there.
From ensuring schools are girl friendly with clubs that help prevent child marriage. To setting up temporary learning spaces in conflicts. To making school more affordable with the promise of a hot school meal.
Let’s clear the way for girls to learn so that every girl can finish school.
*Name has been changed to protect identity