TEACHER'S MIND : Plan now for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

THE world’s biggest sporting bonanza, the 2010 FIFA World Cup is going to be staged on the African continent in less than 50 days. The FIFA World Cup has always drawn a lot of interest attracting even the non-traditional football fans. The fact that this will be the first time that Africa hosts this prestigious event, implies that more Africans will be taking part in the games. I cannot forget to point out that most football games will be played at favourable times for most of the African television audiences. Even before the tournament gets underway, the football craze is already at an all-time high, thanks to the over hyped English Premier League that has seen more people invest more allegiance to English clubs than their national team! What does all this mean for the education sector? The world cannot and indeed should not stop simply because some 22 adults are running after ‘an inflated piece of leather’ as some cynics prefer to describe the football game. Schools will not stop because of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In other words, students and school authorities ought to prepare well for the World Cup in order continue with their educational plans undisrupted. Candidates in primary six, senior three and six, all need to realise that no matter which country they support, in Rwanda, the national examinations will still have to be done this November. This second term of the academic year will mainly be dominated by the World Cup frenzy that kicks off on June 11. With this in mind, a smart student (especially candidates) should plan early and revise before the second week of June. When the games eventually kick off, concentration levels will under normal circumstances drop. Students today are so addicted to football—it’s the love of their life! I know a couple of students who can easily mention all the players of Arsenal or Manchester United, that I sometimes wonder whether this is now part of the school curriculum. Such students would give anything to follow the games in South Africa and forget about their studies. Wise school administrators especially those in charge of boarding schools should therefore make sure that plans are in place for students not to miss out on the inauguration of the World Cup on African soil. Anything short of this, may lead to cases of truancy reaching to uncontrollable levels. At all times, the students must be reminded that they should not be carried away by the football bonanza. They have to keep in mind their objectives for attending school and devise schemes to remain focused on their academic goals throughout the World Cup tournament. It will be a big shame for a student to use the World Cup as an excuse for performing poorly. The World Cup is not an accidental event. We all know when it will start and when it will end. We even know the teams that will play and therefore it is wise to prepare and adjust our academic programmes so that they are not affected by the games. ssenyonga@gmail.com