Let us take a look at some children from different countries and find out if this is true.

When you have finished reading about the children, you will need to complete a table to help you remember the information.

THAILAND

Traditionally, young men in Thailand spend some time studying to become Buddhist monks. They are called novices and some spend only a few weeks at the temple, while others choose to be monks for the rest of their lives.

In the temple, the novices spend time meditating on the teaching of Buddha.

Thai Buddhist monks wear flowing, saffron-coloured robes. The robes are made of two pieces of cloth, worn with a sash around the waist. The novices have their heads and eyebrows shaved once a month. Their hair may not grow more than 2cm long.

One young novice says that he likes being barefoot as it is necessary to take off your shoes for eating and praying and he never remembers where he has put his sandals. He has no toys, but likes to play soccer with the other novices and may watch television once a week, but does not really like TV. There are many cats at the temple, but he prefers dogs.

Figure 1

ISRAEL

If you are a Jew, you believe in one God and live your life according to rules laid down in the Jewish holy book, which is called the Torah. It contains 613 commandments, which include which kinds of food Jews should eat.

Jewish children learn Hebrew even though they might speak English. On Friday evenings the boys and men go to the synagogue (meeting place) to worship and study religious texts. The girls and women prepare the special Shabbat meal at home. On the Shabbat, they must not do any work or switch on electrical equipment. They may bath, but must not wash their hair.

Their religion teaches that boys must keep their hair short. The boys and men wear a small cap called a kippah on the back of their heads, kept on with clips.

Figure 2

One typical Jewish boy in Israel says he likes to wear running shoes except when it is really cold and then he wears boots. He loves playing on the computer and his favourite lessons are gymnastics and religion. When he grows up he would like to be a computer engineer.

INDIA

The religion followed by many Indians, is Hinduism. Hindus believe that the spirit of God is in everything in the world – animals, plants and humans. It is wrong to hurt any living thing. When a person dies, their soul returns inside the body of another person or animal. This is called reincarnation.

Indian women wear saris, which are a long piece of cloth wound round the body and draped over the shoulder. It is worn over a short blouse.

One young Indian girl has a pet goat. She doesn’t like dogs as she thinks they will bite her. She walks to school and enjoys her lessons, especially the ones about Mahatma Ghandi as she considers him to have been a great man.

Figure 3

She wears sandals called chappals (beach thongs) and likes her long hair to be pulled straight back. She is a vegetarian and does not eat meat, but does eat fish. This Indian girl of nine hates the smell of dirty water and would like to make all water clean and everything in the world cheaper.

EGYPT

Most people in Egypt are Muslim and worship at a mosque. The Muslim holy book is called the Qur’an. Most Muslim women pray at home and when they go to their mosque, they enter through an entrance different to the men. The ninth month, Ramadan, is a holy month for Muslims, during which they avoid all food and drink between sunrise and sunset. To celebrate the end of Ramadan, they have a feast when they give thanks to Allah for his help during the fast.

Figure 4

One young Egyptian boy says his surname means ‘Slave of God’ and he hopes to grow up to be a policeman. Like all Muslim children the world over, he learns classical Arabic to read the Qur’an and say his prayers. He loves playing soccer and he wishes there wasn’t so much traffic so that there would be less dirt and pollution. His favourite food is strawberries.

TANZANIA

The Masai people of East Africa are traditionally nomads, but today are settling in permanent homes. Masai communities live in a group of huts called an enjang, which means homestead. The Masai wear brightly coloured pieces of cloth called rubeka and they make their own sandals called namuka. Young Masai children have the top parts of their ears pierced as well as their earlobes. Masai women and girls wear colourful necklaces depending on how old they are.

Figure 5

One young Masai girl tells how she has two names. She is a Christian and goes to church with her family every Sunday. She has a Christian name and a Masai name which means ‘girl child who is loved most by her parents.’ She wears a uniform to school and has all her lessons taught in Swahili, which is the main language of Tanzania. She makes toys from soft clay and a ball by wrapping grass around a wild tomato. She would like to be a teacher when she grows up and hates having to walk the six kilometres every day to fetch water.

CHINA

More than a billion people live in China, and the Government is worried that there will not be enough food and land for everyone if the population grows any bigger. So these days most families have only one child. Chinese people put their family name first and their ‘given’ name second.

One young Chinese girl says her ‘given’ name means ‘big-hearted, happy and clean.’ When she grows up, she wants to be a handicraft teacher because she loves making things. Her favourite colour is red, which is a popular colour in China as it is associated with happiness and joy. Her school uniform is a red tracksuit. She loves reading and watching cartoons on TV. Her favourite food is rice and she does not like meat, but prefers fish.

Figure 6

Weren’t these fascinating bits of information about children around the world? Fill in as much as you can remember from what you have read and feel free to refer to the information so that you can complete the table below. You will need to think about yourself to complete the South African bit.

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: READING AND VIEWINGThe learner is able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and to respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner:

LEARNING OUTCOME 5: THINKING AND REASONINGThe learner is able to use language to think and reason, as well as to access, process and use information for learning.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner:

5.2 uses language to investigate and explore:

5.2.3 locates information, using key words or concepts.