A UN agency will today propose the introduction of a levy on broadcast and sponsorship revenues for the World Cup as a way of helping some two million more children into school.

Unesco, the Paris-based educational and cultural body, will call for a 0.4 per cent levy to be imposed on all broadcast and sponsorship revenues for next summer’s competition, with the premier divisions of the five major European football leagues adopting a similar levy from 2010 to 2015.

A report due to be published by Unesco estimates this would generate about €32 million annually – enough to provide an education each year to just under half a million children who are not currently in school. The proposal, which is being supported by Sport Against Racism in Ireland (SARI), has been sent to Fifa president Sepp Blatter. “This is a chance for football to step up to the mark and make a difference to the lives of some of the world’s most disadvantaged kids,” said Faroe Islands manager and SARI board member Brian Kerr.

“Most footballers, managers, and fans would welcome this proposal. This is a chance to ensure Africa’s first World Cup leaves a legacy that will be remembered.”

Commercial revenues from the 2010 World Cup are projected to reach €564 million. Revenues for the major leagues in Europe range from €929 million in France to about €2.3 billion in England.

According to Unesco, the English Premier League could put 140,00 children into school every year if it adopted the proposal. For Ghana, that would represent a 15 per cent decline in the number of children out of school. There are over 70 million children in the world who do not attend school and recent projections by Unesco suggest the world will fail to meet the UN goal of getting all children into school by 2015.