Share

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons - Niloy

There are only two days to go until the start of the event that is going to bring the world to a standstill: The 2010 FIFA World Cup.

For many countries it´s just another sporting event, but for some it affects their daily lives, as they change their schedules to be able to follow the games of the team that they love.  But it´s not only the local fanatics that are involved; take Argentina for example.  The National Congress has decided not to meet during the World Cup matches.  The president Cristina Kirchner proposed to buy televisions for schools that don´t have them, so that no student will be excluded from the World Cup celebrations.  In Brazil, the student’s are excused from classes and nobody goes to work when their country is playing.

The World Cup is definitely an opportunity for students to learn more about other cultures, for example, learning about the customs and traditions of the teams that their countries will play.  But is it going too far to buy televisions and suspend classes for the games?  Should countries in Latin America like Argentina, buy televisions for schools when basic things like heating in some classrooms are not provided?  Is this the correct way to channel funding?  It´s certainly good to inspire morale and unite a country but maybe this is taking it too far.

For the football fanatics, it surely seems like a good idea, but for the critics, all this trouble just for a game?  But is it just a game?  That can be the subject of another post entirely…

Tags: 2010 FIFA World Cup, Argentina, Brazil