Football for Schools (F4S) Programme:
The Union Minister for Education presided over the distribution of FIFA footballs as part of the Football for Schools (F4S) programme at PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya, Fort William, Kolkata, West Bengal.
- It is an ambitious programme run by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in collaboration with UNESCO,
- It aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million
- It seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
- It has been designed to promote targeted life skills and competencies through football and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other priorities.
- The F4S Programme is aligned with global sport, education and health policies, including UNESCO’s Kazan Action Plan, the Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework of Action, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA).
- Objectives of the Football for Schools Programme:
- Empower learners (boys and girls) with valuable life skills and competencies
- Empower and provide coach-educators with the training to deliver sport and life-skills activities
- Build the capacity of stakeholders (schools, MAs and public authorities) to deliver training in life skills through football
- Strengthen the cooperation between governments, MAs and participating schools to enable partnerships, alliances and intersectoral collaboration
- It was launched in mid-2019 with pilot projects in Puerto Rico and Lebanon.
- In India, the programme is implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (DoSEL), with support from the
- All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
