'I realize now that I often took it for granted that I was even able to go to school,' admits the 'We Found Love' hitmaker who also says that she did not always love school.

• Sep 19, 2018

AceShowbiz - Rihanna has urged people around the world not to take their education for granted like she once did.

The "Umbrella" hitmaker has been campaigning for better access to education via her Clara Lionel Foundation and earlier this year, joined world leaders as an ambassador at the Global Partnership for Education conference - where they pledged $2.3 billion to fund schooling across the globe.

In an article in The Guardian, Rihanna opened up about her own troubles at school but wrote that her experiences have since taught her how precious learning really is.

"Growing up in Barbados, I did not always love school," she confessed. "It can feel like a grind, especially when you'd rather be singing, playing sports or doing pretty much anything other than homework. I realize now that I often took it for granted that I was even able to go to school."

The musician went on to explain that the spate of hurricanes that devastated several islands in her native Caribbean last year had deprived many kids in the region of their schooling, and she warned: "Education can be stolen from you in a second."

Continuing her plea, the singer, who held her annual Diamond Ball in aid of her foundation last week, end September 16, wrote that others were in desperate need of school resources due to conflict, poverty and sexism.

Imploring others to help her promote better education, she concluded: "When it comes to helping the world's poorest children, as well as the communities and societies in which they live, I'm still learning - and I need others to join me on the journey and use their voices alongside mine."

The Clara Lionel Foundation already helps thousands of girls in Malawi with their education, as Rihanna has funded scholarships and bicycles to enable pupils to travel to school.