British Council launches UK Sports Initiative in six state schools
In order to encourage sports in developing countries, the British Council, in partnership with UK Sport, Ministry of Human Resources Development, United Nations International Childrens Education Fund and Youth Sport Trust-UK, has launched the UK Sports Initiative in across six schools in Maharashtra.
These schools include three in Mumbai Kendriya Vidyalaya, Colaba, Khernagar English Municipal Upper Primary School, Bandra and Colaba Municipal Secondary School.
The initiative is part of an International Inspirational programme that was launched shortly after London won the bid for Olympics 2012. The programme is aimed at using the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people in schools and communities in developing countries like India, Zambia, Azerbaijan, Brazil and Pulao where the pilot project will be implemented. The second phase of the programme involves Bangladesh, Ghana, Jordan, Mozambique and Trinidad and Tobago. The initiative looks to cover 20 countries by 2012.
With a vision of transforming the lives of children, through the power of sport, the British Council aims at increasing the understanding of Physical Education and school sports among education decision-makers worldwide. For this purpose, it will set up 60 educational partnerships between the UK and other countries, including 12 cities in India through the Dreams + Teams programme. This programme would involve training of local tutors and young leaders, who will, in turn, teach tutors in other schools.
The training is currently on in schools in Maharashtra and will then be carried out in 25 schools in other states like Assam, West Bengal, for which 70 young leaders and 18 local tutors will be chosen and trained on the various aspects of leadership building, managerial skills, intercultural relationships and inclusiveness of physically challenged children in activities through sports. The young leaders will then organise their own sports festival.
Teachers from the three schools in Mumbai had been to some London schools for a week in February to study the sports programmes there.
Sayali Walinjkar of Khernagar English Municipal Upper Primary School said, Considering the fact that schools in India hardly lay any emphasis on sports, this kind of an initiative will prove very beneficial. We have selected the brightest students from our school and these students will teach whatever they have learnt to the other students.