The First Grader Official

The World's Oldest First-Grader Is Honored By A Google Doodle

: Many parents and local officials were outraged, viewing his presence among six-year-olds as a waste of resources and a public scandal. The First Grader

Maruge was not just an elderly student; he was a former who had spent his youth battling British colonial rule in Kenya during the 1950s. Because of the war and his role in the rebellion, he was never afforded the opportunity for a formal education. His decision to enter a classroom decades later was deeply rooted in his past; he famously stated that "education is the key to liberty," seeing literacy as the final piece of the independence he had fought for physically years prior. The Catalyst: Free Education for All The World's Oldest First-Grader Is Honored By A

In 2002, the Kenyan government announced it would offer for all citizens. While the policy was intended for children, Maruge took the offer literally. In 2003, he arrived at a local school in the Rift Valley, carrying a letter he could not read and a Bible he wished to understand on his own. Challenges and Resilience His enrollment was met with significant resistance: His decision to enter a classroom decades later