In a powerful comment article in The Guardian, George Weah backs 1Goal, the campaign to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Weah, the first African soccer player to have been named FIFA’s World Player of the Year, calls on his own experiences growing up in Liberia to illustrate his point that “Africa’s future depends on education for all.”
Liberia, battered by two civil wars, is one of the countries we’ll look at in the 2011 Education for All Global Monitoring Report, which will focus on conflict and education. In his article, George Weah – who ran for president of Liberia in 2005 – draws attention to the need to ensure that children get a chance not just to go to school, but to get education of a high standard. He emphasizes the importance of keeping class sizes down – a crucial factor in Liberia, where children often have to sit three or four to a desk in classes of over 100, as our photo shows.
I am pleased to hear the African children have a champion in George Weah. We all know the importance of education can’t be stressed enough.
I was sadden to read that so many children must share seating, and the class sizes truly do not create the best learning environment.
Thanks for making us aware of these conditions.