Pink Floyd Would Be Pleased

The Teacher Who Wanted to Be There

Many of us know Pink Floyd’s epic 1979 anthem “Another Brick in the Wall,” with its unforgettable chorus: Hey, teacher, leave them kids alone. The song is a broadside against rigid, soul-crushing schooling—the kind that irons out individuality and stamps out creativity.

When the song came out, Roxane Pressoir was already dreaming of a teaching career. But the future she imagined for herself looked nothing like the one Pink Floyd was raging against. She wanted to be the teacher who showed up fully for her students—the one who believed in them, challenged them, and helped them reach for something bigger than themselves.

“Since I was very young, I witnessed the power of education; the way it inspires and empowers,” she says. “It might be the single most important influence on someone’s future. To be a teacher is to be a part of that future in some way.”

That conviction stayed with Roxane throughout her entire teaching career. Year after year, she reminded her students how fortunate they were to live in a country where every child—girl or boy—could walk through a school door. “A society that values education for all is more tolerant and open-minded,” she says. “From my point of view, it’s one of the best ways to promote peace in the world.”

A neighbour, a dream, and a foundation

Roxane’s path to 60 million girls began close to home—literally. In 2006, her neighbour and friend Wanda Bedard decided to start a foundation to improve the lives of vulnerable girls around the world. For Roxane, saying yes was never really a question.

“Wanda’s dream was to help young, vulnerable girls have access to a quality education so that their untapped potential could be attained,” she recalls. “As a teacher, I truly believe that education is the main path to a more just and equitable society. Knowledge is not only a means of empowerment—it contributes to autonomy and success for entire communities. So, of course I was on board from the very beginning!”

From day one, Roxane took on the role of treasurer, a position she has held on a volunteer basis for all twenty years since. It is a detail worth pausing on: two decades of quietly, carefully stewarding the Foundation’s finances—not as a job, but as a calling.

“As treasurer, I’m proud of the fact that our exceptional volunteers make it possible to invest 99% of the donations we receive into girls’ education.”

That figure—99 cents of every donated dollar going directly to programs—doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of a small, dedicated team that has chosen to give its time rather than draw a salary, year after year.

Building bridges in an uncertain world

Twenty years is a long time, and 60 million girls has not stood still. The Foundation has evolved continuously, responding to the shifting realities facing the girls and communities it serves—from the accelerating climate crisis to the rise of digital learning and self-directed education.

Roxane has watched that evolution from the inside, and she is proud of it. “It has never ceased to amaze me how our small group of volunteers has grown over the years and demonstrated such a high degree of dedication, insight, knowledge, and innovative thinking,” she says.

For her, the mission has always been about more than school enrolment numbers or literacy rates. It is about preparing young people—girls especially—for a world that is changing faster than any curriculum can keep up with. “As leaders and educators, we are striving to build new bridges and create as many pathways as possible for every student to have the skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes necessary to survive—and thrive—in an uncertain world.”

Pink Floyd sang that teachers should leave the kids alone. Roxane Pressoir has spent her career—and the last twenty years with 60 million girls—doing exactly the opposite.

Inspired by Roxane’s story? The 60 million girls Foundation has been changing girls’ lives for two decades—powered almost entirely by volunteers like her. Consider making a donation to ensure that 99 cents of every dollar you give goes directly to girls’ education around the world.