Football4Schools to empower 25 mn school kids through sports-integrated learning
An MoU for Football4Schools was signed between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey
The next edition of the FIFA World Cup Soccer is just round the bend, and the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar is all geared up to host the mega event.
In India too, football fever is at its high with fans of the game bracing themselves for the event. The Union government, meanwhile, seems to be making the most of the opportunity by lining up measures to bring forth more kids to the football fields.
An initiative christened ‘Football4Schools’ has been rolled out in this regard. Union Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on behalf of the Ministry of Education inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the global football body FIFA and All India Football Federation for the initiative in India.
Football4Schools brings to NEP spirit to the fore
The MoU was signed between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey. According to Pradhan, sports has been given a place of pride in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Football4Schools programme brings to the fore the spirit of NEP 2020. Sports has been given a place of pride in NEP 2020, he added.
Football4Schools programme is envisioned as a programme towards making sports as a way of life as well as creating well-rounded citizens. The MoU signed on the side lines of the Under 17 WWC is expected to promote football and also equip the young learners with valuable life skills.
As football is considered an immensely popular sport, the Football4Schools programme is expected to use it as a positive tool to inspire children and ensure their holistic development. Football4Schools aims to empower 25 million young boys and girls in India through sports-integrated learning.
A variety of benefits foreseen
The initiatives may be seen as bringing in a slew of benefits such as empowering boys and girls with valuable life skills and competencies, and also providing coach-educators with the training to deliver sport and life-skills activities. These apart, the initiatives will also aid in building capacity of stakeholders such as schools, member associations and public authorities, to deliver training in life skills through football.
Besides, the Football4Schools programme is also expected to strengthen the cooperation between governments and participating schools to enable partnerships, alliances and inter-sectoral collaboration.
