History Class

Here's a snapshot of a history class in Lithuania. There's a map on one wall, and the other wall features images of medieval rulers—probably Mindaugas or Vytautas.

It's not a single-gender school. When you first look at the room, it seems as if they've segregated the children by gender on different sides of the room. But there's one row of boys in the girls' half of the room. Had they misbehaved?

The children are not wearing uniforms. It must be cold, though, because a few of the girls have scarves wrapped around their necks.

What's with the boy standing next to the teacher? Is there no desk space for him?

Jablonskio Pradžios Mokykla, Kaunas, Lithuania, 1932-1933. My Dad, the dark-haired boy in the second row, on the aisle, is looking at his desktop surface. He appears to be the only child who has no reading materials on his desk.