Children’s Rights Advocate

EFUA SUTHERLAND

Ghana – 1924-1996

Pan-Africanist, writer, teacher & activist for children’s rights. She wrote plays, curriculum & children’s books, often based on African folktales, because she believed children were forced to read literature unrelated to their environment. After university in the UK, returned to newly independent Ghana in 1957 to start arts/education organizations (such as a School for Performing Arts, the Ghana Society of Writers, training programs for playwrights, a publishing company & an initiative to bring science learning to rural children). Influenced Ghana to be the first country to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child & chaired the National Commission on Children from 1983-1990. (Ghana is still a hub for early childhood education, as one of the first African governments to introduce two years of compulsory preschool in 2007, & award-winning models like Lively Minds & Sabre.)

The Grand Sage of Education in Africa

Prof. Pai Obanya

Nigeria – 1939 – Present

Pius Augustine Iké (PAI) Obanya is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Ibadan’s Institute of Education and a former Chairman of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). He serves on the Committee of Experts for Education International (EI) and the Board of Directors at HEBN Publishers (formerly Heinemann). As a renowned education strategist, he was a Technical Adviser to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education Reform Implementation Committee and previously chaired the Presidential Task Team on Education (January-May 2011).

Prof. Obanya joined his alma mater in 1971 as a Research Fellow, quickly rising to full Professor by 1979. He led the Institute of Education from 1980 to 1983 and served as the Foundation Dean of Education during a sabbatical at Lagos State University. Between 1976 and 1986, he supervised 11 PhD candidates, seven of whom became full professors of education.

His 11-year tenure at UNESCO included roles as Deputy Director (1988-91) and Director (1991-99) of the Regional Office for Education in Africa (UNESCO/BREDA). As the architect of Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) program, he laid the groundwork for its implementation between 2000 and 2001.

In “active retirement,” Prof. Obanya continues to provide advisory and consultancy services to governments, international organizations, and educational institutions. Known as the “Grand Sage of Education in Africa,” he is a globally sought-after keynote speaker. A proponent of innovative, inclusive education models, he advocates for accessible education for all, regardless of age, location, or life circumstances.

Source: (Institue of Education)

Baba Saheb (Respected Father)

B.R. AMBEDKAR

India – 1891-1956

Activist, lawyer, economist & professor of political economy who advocated for education access for Dalits, the lowest rung in India’s caste system. Born into a Dalit caste, he shaped India’s independence movement to prioritize Dalit rights (frequently in conflict with Gandhi) & influenced affirmative action in education. Helped ensure that Dalits had reserved seats in Provincial legislatures, added the right to education into India’s constitution & was Law & Justice Minister in post-independence India’s first cabinet. Started movements against untouchability & the Peoples Education Society to enable higher education access for low-income people. Called Baba Saheb: “respected father.”

Mwalimu (Teacher)

JULIUS NYERERE

Ghana – 1922-1999

President of Tanzania who linked education reform to his anti-colonial & Pan-Africanist vision. While most Tanzanians could not afford to go to school, Nyerere was allowed to attend a British school because his father was a tribal chief. Studied to be a teacher at Makerere in Uganda, began his career as a history teacher & formed a political party that advocated for Tanzania’s independence. In 1962, as the country’s first post-independence President, he wrote about his philosophies of education & promoted Ujamaa: African socialism that increased education/healthcare access, privatized companies & transitioned agriculture to collective farming. His most famous essay, “Education for Self-Reliance,” critiques colonial education & argues schools should teach skills relevant to a student’s life, such as farming. He writes, “we should not determine the type of things children are taught in primary schools by the things a doctor, engineer, teacher, economist, or administrator needs to know. Most of our pupils will never be any of these things. We should determine…the skills he ought to acquire…if he, or she, is to live…in a socialist and predominantly rural society.” “The Declaration of Dar es Salaam” outlines his philosophies of adult education. Unlike most politicians (who send their children to expensive private schools), Nyerere insisted that his 7 children attend government schools. Affectionately called mwalimu (teacher in Swahili).

Montessori Mother

TARABAI MODAK

India – 1892-1973

Pioneer of early childhood education in India & a theory that to reach the most marginalized children, not only should children come to school, but schools should come to children. She started the balwadi model in 1926 – preschools using locally available teaching materials (such as sticks or feathers), often located in home courtyards – that was scaled by India’s government in 1975 (today, there are 1.4 million informal preschools in India). Co-founded the first training college for preschool teachers in India & Nutan Bal Shikshan Sangh, an international research centre for early childhood education. Wrote children’s books & books for parents about how to teach children. Called the “Montessori Mother” because she adapted Montessori methods to India.

Modak’s 1958 book about how to design & run a preschool – ‘Balwadis in Rural Areas’ (source: Tamil Digital Library).

Founder of Critical Pedagogy

PAULO FREIRE

Brazil – 1921-1997

Paulo Freire developed critical pedagogy, an education model where students reflect on oppressive systems & co-create knowledge to take action for liberation. Led large-scale literacy campaigns with uneducated farmers in Brazil (literacy was a prerequisite to vote). Minister of Education for São Paulo. Inspired by Karl Marx & Frantz Fanon, wrote or co-wrote 20 books, including the most-cited book on education. Influenced the liberation theology movement in the 1970s – a key force opposing Brazil’s military dictatorship between 1964 and 1985. Shaped education initiatives in Cuba, Mozambique, Peru & Guinea-Bissau; catalyzed popular education models to spread to Nicaragua & other resistance movements. Freire was imprisoned for 70 days in 1964 & spent 16 years exiled from Brazil. Shaped countless teachers to view education as a tool for social & political consciousness.

Visiting a school in São Paulo, 1990 (source: Pesquisa).

Father of Indonesian National Education

KI HAJAR DEWANTARA

Indonesia – 1899-1959

Journalist & activist in the Indonesian independence movement, considered the “Father of Indonesian National Education.” Born into a noble family, he attended schools for European children (unlike most Indonesians) & advocated for education for native Indonesians under Dutch colonization. At 24, he was arrested & exiled to the Netherlands for 5 years for writings critical of the colonial government. Later started Taman Siswa, one of the first schools for native Indonesians (when only Dutch colonizers & Javanese aristocracy had schools); influenced by Rabindranath Tagore’s school (started in rural India in 1901) & Maria Montessori, Dewantara’s school promoted Indonesian culture, music & dance through a family-like environment. By the 1930s, the school chain spread as part of the lead-up to Indonesians declaring independence in 1945 – which influenced decolonization movements worldwide.

Teachers & students at Taman Siswa school, 1922 (source: VOI).

From Javanese, this essentially means that educators should be role models who encourage their students. It is the motto of Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and a proverb attributed to Dewantara (source: Deviantart).

Organizer of Teachers

HAROLD CRESSY

South Africa – 1889-1916

South African headteacher, writer, activist & Co-founder of the Teachers’ League of South Africa (TLSA). 1st Coloured person to graduate from a South African university. Headteacher of the 1st secondary school in Cape Town for Black & Coloured students (in District 6, a majority-Coloured neighbourhood). Published essays in activist newspapers to advocate for increased pay for Coloured teachers. Though Cressy died at 27, he had a powerful impact beyond his death. As G.H. Gool wrote, “Cressy was a pioneer in the fight against the weight of oppression. The government was trying to use the teachers to ingrain its race logic into the Non-Europeans.” In the 1950s, the TSLA organized teachers to resist Bantu Education, a national policy to offer Black & Coloured South Africans an inferior education (to perpetuate White power/wealth). District 6 was key to the anti-apartheid struggle; in 1966, the apartheid government forcibly removed over 60,000 residents & razed their homes to transfer land to Whites.

Cressy (2nd from right) with fellow Zonnebloem College students, 1905 (source: M Adhikari).

Javanese Princess Turned Feminist

RADEN ADJENG KARTINI

Indonesia – 1879-1904

Teacher, school founder & writer who advanced movements for women’s rights & advocated for female education in Indonesia. Like Dewantara, Kartini was born into an aristocratic Javanese family & was one of the 1st Indonesians to attend a Dutch school. In letters to pen pals (Dutch socialists & feminists), she critiqued the colonial system & argued that Javanese girls should not be denied education; she opposed men having multiple wives & purdah (keeping teenage girls in seclusion). Started her own school for girls. According to Wikipedia, “in 1903, she wrote a report to the government entitled ‘Educate the Javanese Now’ that discussed the significance of receiving a quality education and offered some recommended methods for achieving it.” After Kartini died at 25, others launched ‘Kartini Schools’ & her letters were published in a book, Letters of a Javanese Princess, that influenced Indonesia’s independence movement.

Kartini in her classroom, 1903 (Source: KITLV).

Pakistani Education Activist

Malala Yousafzai

Pakistan – 1997-Present

Malala Yousafzai is a globally renowned advocate for girls’ education and the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She rose to prominence after surviving a targeted attack by the Taliban in 2012 for her outspoken advocacy of girls’ right to education in her native Pakistan. Her courage and determination sparked international attention, leading her to co-author the memoir I Am Malala, which chronicled her journey and the ongoing struggle for girls’ education worldwide.

In 2014, Malala co-founded the Malala Fund, an international organization dedicated to ensuring 12 years of free, safe, and quality education for girls. The Fund supports initiatives in several countries, focusing on areas most affected by conflict, poverty, and gender inequality.

Malala graduated from the University of Oxford in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In her post-graduate years, she has continued her activism, becoming a leading voice on education, human rights, and gender equality on the global stage. Her speeches and writings have inspired millions, and she remains a sought-after speaker at international forums.

Known for her resilience and unwavering commitment to justice, Malala has become a symbol of courage and empowerment for young women worldwide. Her work continues to focus on breaking barriers to education, particularly in marginalized communities.

Source: (United Nations)

Lioness of Lasabi

FUNMILAYO RANSOME-KUTI

Nigeria – 1900-1978

Teacher, activist & suffragist for women’s right to vote, who shaped the Nigerian independence movement. Started some of the first preschool classes in Nigeria, literacy training for low-income market women & schools across the Abeokuta area. Founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union, which organized large-scale mass protests against taxes on female market traders (with over 10,000 protesters). Nigerian media called her the “Lioness of Lasabi” (Lasabi is the traditional hero of the Egba people). Chairman of the Western Nigeria Advisory Board of Education & consultant to Nigeria’s Ministry of Education on teacher recruitment. Travelled widely to speak about Nigeria’s women’s movement, such as a trip to meet Mao Zedong in China. Her husband was a co-founder of the Nigeria Union of Teachers & her son, Afrobeat musician & activist Fela Kuti, was a leading critic of Nigeria’s military government. She died after soldiers threw her out a window.

Ransome-Kuti (in glasses) & the 1947 Abeokuta Women’s Revolt portrayed in a biopic (source: Youtube).

Source: Just Seeds

Feminist Futurist

BEGUM ROKEYA

Bangladesh – 1880-1932

Writer, school founder & advocate for women’s rights who believed that education is the key to women’s liberation. Born into a conservative Muslim family, she opened the 1st school for Muslim girls in Bengal (an area later split into India & Bangladesh). She went door-to-door to convince families to release their daughters from purdah (an Islamic practice of secluding girls at home), so they could attend her school; the school still exists today, run by India’s Bengal state government. Rokeya wrote feminist stories, essays & novels. Her 1905 story, “Sultana’s Dream,” about a world where men were kept inside & women rule public life, was the world’s 1st feminist science-fiction utopian story. “Padmarag” is about a feminist women-run school & “the Secluded Ones” shares the stories of girls’ oppressive experiences in purdah. Rokeya started the Islamic Women’s Association, which held conferences such as the 1926 Bengal Women’s Education Conference – likely the world’s 1st gathering of women supporting female education. In Bangladesh, December 9 is Rokeya Day.

Cover of Rokey’s most famous story, 1905 (source: Goodreads).

Source: Tumbex

India’s 1st Female Teacher

SAVITRIBAI PHULE

India – 1831-1897

Poet, school founder & champion of women’s education in India. Likely the first female teacher in India, she gained her teaching credential in 1847. She & her husband started 18 schools, including India’s first school for girls in 1848 in Pune, as well as a centre for pregnant rape victims & children who were rape victims. Phule faced resistance from community members & her own family; according to Women in History, “opponents would throw stones, dung and verbal abuse at Savitribai as she walked to the school every day, however, she always carried a spare sari with her so she could change and carry on with her work.” Phule’s husband said, “my own father threw us out of the house” because his father thought their work educating girls was sinful. Phule opened a centre that fed daily meals to over 2,000 children during the bubonic plague; she died after carrying a child with the plague to the hospital. She is called the “mother of Indian feminism.”

Source: X

Phule’s poem ‘Go, Go Get Education’ (source: X).

Kabiguru (Teacher of Poets)

RABINDRANATH TAGORE

India – 1861-1941

Poet, artist & social reformer. Barely attended formal school & learned through musicians hosted at his family’s home, his brother’s tutoring & independent study. Produced thousands of paintings, stories, poems & songs (he was the 1st non-European to win Nobel Prize for literature) – but critiqued traditional schools. His story, ‘The Parrot’s Training,’ shows how colonial schools kill the souls of students through mindless memorization. In 1901, started an ashram & experimental school in rural India to develop children’s curiosity/self-discovery/autonomy. Later started 4 schools & a university focused on the humanities. Tagore taught & wrote the textbooks; lessons were often outside & connected to nature, the arts, or students helping local villagers to problem-solve. He travelled widely & influenced writers & educationists in many countries, including the UK (he co-founded the progressive Dartington Hall School). Known as kabiguru: “teacher of poets.”

Tagore co-teaching a class (source: Britannica).

Umm al-Banīn (Mother of the Children)

FATIMA AL-FIHRIYA

Morocco – Circa 800-880

Founder of the world’s 1st university. After her father’s death, al-Fihriya used her inheritance to start a mosque & madrasa (school) in Fez in 859, that evolved into University of al-Qarawiyyin – the world’s 1st degree-granting institution (according to UNESCO), oldest continuously operating university & oldest library. Along with the House of Wisdom in Baghdad & Al-Azhar University in Cairo, al-Qarawiyyin was a hub for the Islamic Golden Age, which pioneered mathematics/sciences & influenced Western philosophy. According to Daily Sabah, “scholars and students from all over the Muslim world visited and enrolled…Fatima’s ideas and vision influenced many universities across Europe.” For example, traditions today, such as the graduation gown & mortar board hat, come from al-Qarawiyyin. Al-Fihriya was called Umm al-Banīn – “mother of the children” – because she supported many boys to learn. (Some historians argue that she did not exist & her story is a myth.)

Advocate of Education for Muslims

SYED AHMAD KHAN

India/Pakistan – 1817-1898

Writer & founder of an education association & university, who promoted British-style education to increase Muslim political power. Born in Delhi & influenced by the Tunisian political reformer Hayreddin Pasha, he advocated for adapting Western education/techniques while maintaining Indian traditions. Published widely, including “Address to the Natives of Hindoostan on Education.” Started Gulshan School, Victoria School, a science society for Muslims (to publish journals & translate scientific texts to Urdu) & Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (the 1st Muslim university in South Asia, that still exists today). Inspired after a trip to the UK, he wrote, “we aim to turn this MAO College into a University similar to that of Oxford or Cambridge.” The 1st two Prime Ministers of Pakistan were alumni. Founder of the Aligarh Movement & the Muhammadan Educational Conference in 1886, which promoted modern education for Muslims. Over 3,000 attended their 1906 conference in Dhaka & many started other schools; the women’s division started Khatoon, an Urdu monthly encouraging women to pursue education. Conference attendees created the All-India Muslim League in 1906, a political party that advocated for India to be split; Partition in 1947 created Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Zoology class at Khan’s University, 1946. Female students sat behind a curtain (source: Heritage Times).

Schoolmaster President

DOMINGO FAUSTINO SARMIENTO

Argentina/Chile – 1811-1888

Teacher-turned President of Argentina who advocated for free, secular, mandatory universal education. Exiled by Argentina’s dictatorship to Chile, he started 2 schools & was founding Director of the 1st teacher training institute in South America (in the tradition of normal schools, which use lab schools to train teachers). Funded by Chile’s government, he visited Uruguay, Brazil, Tunisia & Italy on a 2-year trip to study education systems. In 1847, he met Horace Mann, who pioneered the 1st free government-funded universal education system in the US (after a trip to Prussia to learn from the world’s 1st public education system). In 1868, the year Sarmiento was selected to be Argentina’s President, he wrote, “the United States and Prussia as great nations is closely allied to their systems of universal education…if Republican Institutions are to be diffused throughout the world, patriots, instead of making revolutions, would begin by founding common schools.” In his 6 years as President, his team built 1,000 primary schools & teacher training institutes in all provinces (Horace Mann’s wife arranged for 65 teachers to travel to Argentina to help). Started newspapers & a journal for Chile’s Department of Education; wrote 18 books, including travelogues on observing education innovations in the US, Africa & Europe. In Argentina, he is called the “schoolmaster President” & September 11 (the anniversary of his death) is Teachers Day.

Students at Sarmiento’s teacher training college (source: Proyecto Escuela Normal JAN).

Universal and Free Education Socialist

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO

Nigeria – 1909-1987

Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo was a statesman, nationalist, and one of the key architects of modern Nigeria. Best known for his pioneering role in introducing free primary education and healthcare in Nigeria’s Western Region, he transformed it into the most progressive area of the country during his tenure as Premier (1954-1960).

Awolowo’s strong advocacy for universal education earned him recognition as a visionary leader in post-colonial Nigeria. He was deeply committed to using education as a tool for social transformation, believing it to be the cornerstone for national development and prosperity. Under his leadership, the Western Region became a leader in literacy and social welfare reforms.

Awolowo, a lawyer by training, was a proponent of federalism, championing regional autonomy to ensure balanced development across Nigeria. As the leader of the Action Group and later the Unity Party of Nigeria, he promoted policies centred on democracy, social equity, and economic advancement.

Even after his political career, Awolowo remained an influential thinker, shaping public policy through his writings and speeches. His legacy as one of Nigeria’s most progressive leaders, especially in education and social welfare, resonates in today’s political and educational systems.

Source: (Britannica)