In the Dominican Republic, the classroom desks are fashioned from construction blocks. In the Philippines, children fleeing a volcano convene an open-air class under mango trees. In Brazil, students make their way to their school day by canoe.

We Americans take our schools for granted. They're a place to learn and grow, to socialize and rebel -- and figure out our limits and our personalities. But on other shores, a classroom means safe haven -- shelter in times of war, disaster or poverty.

asap dispatched AP photographers to the planet's every corner to capture classroom images, from a high-tech public school in the United States to a makeshift tent in Afghanistan. As expected, developed countries offer more possibilities. But elsewhere, students make do with ingenuity and verve.

Shush now, and click for more. In this asap interactive, class is in session.

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Bernadette Tuazon is asap's senior photo editor.

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