A Poem about Your Right to Learn

Celebrate World Poetry Day by enjoying this poem. Poetry is just one way to celebrate the beauty of reading and writing.

My Right to Learn

by Robert Prouty

I do not have to earn
The right to learn.
It’s mine.
And if because
Of faulty laws
And errors of design,
And far too many places where
Still far too many people do not care –
If because of all these things, and more,
For me, the classroom door,
With someone who can teach,
Is still beyond my reach,
Still out of sight,
Those wrongs do not remove my right.
So here I am. I too
Am one of you
And by God’s grace,
And yours, I’ll find my place.
We haven’t met.
You do not know me yet
And so
You don’t yet know
That there is much that I can give you in return.
The future is my name
And all I claim
Is this: my right to learn.

This poem first appeared in the joint UNESCO / UNICEF report “A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education For All”.

We hope you’ll get involved in helping children learn and grow, and join our conversation on Facebook and Twitter.