Global student slump: More money hasn’t helped. What will?

Sharfa Abbaker easily identifies what helped her be a successful student: her school’s high expectations and teachers who have been available at every turn.

When she first moved from Sudan to London, she spoke only Arabic. At 11 years old, she was tasked with adjusting to schooling delivered in a language she didn’t speak, while adapting to a new culture and living with parents who’d never attended college.

Within a few years, she was fluent in English and acing exams. Now 16, she’ll be prepping for A-levels a year earlier than expected. Sharfa attends Michaela Community School, a free state school in London known for its military-like discipline. Its students, from London’s second-poorest borough, had among the highest scores in England for non-selective state schools on 2019 national tests. 

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