I am feeling as sick as a parrot today (I'm never quite sure about the origins of that phrase, but will find out...) - however, I found this amazing tale that lifted my spirits. James Kiawon, a 13-year-old boy in Liberia, has performed so well at school and skipped academic years so many times as a consequence, that he will enter university next year aged 14. Most importantly, he has a tremendous passion for learning, all the more remarkable given the scarce educational resources available to him. And, as the article points out, until quite recently most boys his age were forcibly engaged in bloody conflict. James' story gives a glimpse of just what might be possible in a peaceful Liberia, where hope has been given new license.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
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2 comments:
Great news from Monrovia.
'Sick as a parrot': apparently, in 1909, the Tottenham football team undertook a tour of South America, where they picked up a parrot in a fancy-dress incident. The said parrot was taken back to the London team's home ground where it was paraded in front of fans and supporters before games for many years as a lucky mascot. Then one terrible night in 1919, a dubious voting process in the Football Association denied Tottenham their place in football's first division. And on that very sad night for Tottenham, the parrot died. The parrot died in sympathy with Tottenham's footballing prospects.
(... and before they came up with expression 'sick as a parrot', they went into pet shops crying 'fowl!')
Things are obviously looking up in Monrovia - at least education is on the agenda.
James seems a remarkable child, but the history of "gifted children" is littered with unfulfilled promise. Often emotional development lags well behind intellectual (or artistic) achievement and university is not always the best option for one so young. The Times carried a story last week about Ainan Celeste Cawley whose parents were looking for a university which would accept him to read Chemistry - aged 7.
I think Ainan and James would be better off playing with their pals for a while - they won't get less clever over time. I reckon they'd be sick as parrots to go to university too early. Life is a game of two halves.
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