Max (8): “It is important to study. Sometimes in the morning, my grandmother tells me I have to work in the field. When I tell her I want to go to school, she hits me with a “switch”. Of the scars on my legs, some are from those branches, some are from when I play and I fall. Often I get up early when it is still dark, before everyone else wakes up. I brush my teeth and go to school.”
Children in the Central African Republic often attend school irregularly, or don’t go at all. Most of the population does not know how to read a simple sentence. One of my most important research questions is why for these children their right to education is being violated.
Until now, I find that most children like to learn, and prefer to go to school. However there are many factors that influence their situation. Max’s story is typical. I was very impressed by this boy; such autonomy and willpower! This, also, seems typical for children in the CAR.
