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The UN International Day of Education falls on 24 January;\u00a0Its theme for 2024 is \u2018Learning for a lasting peace\u2019; Spotlight on the FIFA Football\u00a0(www.FIFA.com<\/a><\/em>) for Schools programme.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The International Day of Education celebrates the vital role that education plays in peace and human development. It was launched by the United Nations in 2018, which was also the same year that the Football for Schools programme saw the light of day (https:\/\/apo-opa.co\/47OZyL5<\/a>) at the eighth FIFA Council meeting in Rwanda. A Memorandum of Understanding was subsequently signed by FIFA and UNESCO so as to roll out the programme all over the globe. Six years down the line, 105 countries (https:\/\/apo-opa.co\/4956xQP<\/a>) have joined the initiative.<\/p>\n In addition to this impressive number of signed-up nations, tens of millions of children have been positively affected by F4S. And it is these children that the programme aims to support and nurture, by incorporating football-related activities into the education system, with an overriding goal of making the sport more accessible to young people.<\/p>\n \u201cThe objective is to create a link between education and football by ensuring that children\u2019s introduction to kicking a ball around is as fun as possible, and by teaching them essential life skills,\u201d explained Football for Schools Director Fatimata Sidibe.<\/p>\n She added, stressing the importance of 24 January to her and to the entire world: \u201cThis day places the focus firmly on education and raises awareness among stakeholders to support transformative actions that help achieve inclusive, equal and high-quality education for all. Education and sport play such a key role in children\u2019s well-being and in building sustainable and resilient societies, transforming lives and breaking the cycle of poverty that tends to trap so many youngsters.\u201d<\/p>\n The F4S Director is well-versed in this topic, having travelled the globe with her team over the past three years to meet these children, as well as the teachers and trainers expected to become true ambassadors of the programme, helping them to implement it everywhere, especially in some of the most remote regions of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball is not only a universal sport, but it also has an extraordinary ability to unify and contribute to social integration, as well as educating and liberating boys and girls,\u201d she said. \u201cFIFA harnesses this power to provide children from all over the world, from very different backgrounds, with the opportunity to play and learn.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2023, 71 FIFA member associations successfully introduced the programme. One of the many countries to join the F4S club was Fiji. \u201cFootball is now part of my life,\u201d said 12-year-old Joeli Nakakai, a Fijian pupil at Tavua Primary School. \u201cThe experience has helped me to improve my technical skills, and as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThrough this programme, I\u2019ve learned a lot about gender equality, for example. I was shy about playing with members of the opposite sex, but now I\u2019m more comfortable with the idea. I\u2019ve also learned so much about respecting others, disabilities, and cultural differences. \u201cNow I know how to play in a team, and I feel like I know myself better. I\u2019m better at communicating with others. At the start of the programme, I didn\u2019t know how to juggle the ball, but now I can do 35 easily!\u201d<\/p>\n Although Fiji has traditionally been regarded as a rugby stronghold, Football for Schools has nevertheless managed to establish itself there. The programme partly owes its success to the overwhelming support it has received from local authorities (https:\/\/apo-opa.co\/3u4ylpG<\/a>). \u201cIncorporating football into the national education system and the school curriculum will contribute to social change and help children to become better citizens,\u201d said Sidibe.<\/p>\n \u201cBy learning intrapersonal and cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, active citizenship skills and healthy behaviour, children will boost their personal development and contribute to sustainable development goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Sustainable development is, of course, one of Africa\u2019s major challenges. Interestingly, it is the global region in which Football for Schools has established itself the most, proportionally speaking: 37 of FIFA\u2019s 54 African member associations are on board with the programme, equating to 70 per cent of the continent. It was first introduced in Malawi in 2022 (https:\/\/apo-opa.co\/498XdM3<\/a>), where it has since become indispensable, suggesting that the project can be durable and viable once it is up-and-running.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a girl, this has been a very beneficial experience,\u201d said Ulemu Matchado, 13, a pupil at Chipoza Primary School in Kasungu, central Malawi. \u201cI\u2019ve learned the benefits of teamwork, self-confidence, leadership abilities, discipline, time management, setting realistic goals and consistently having a positive outlook. On the football side, I have improved my focus, which has enabled me to do things on the pitch I didn\u2019t think I was capable of.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve also learned that able-bodied individuals are not necessarily superior to those who might have a physical disability, and that these people should be given equal opportunities in life. They are more than capable of making a positive contribution to the country\u2019s development.\u201d<\/p>\n Learning is at the very core of what Football for Schools does, and \u2018Learning for a lasting peace\u2019 is the theme of the 2024 International Day of Education. \u201cCourtesy of the F4S initiative, children learn to know themselves and the world around them better, learn to live and interact in harmony with others, and learn to take responsibility for their own health and well-being,\u201d concluded Sidibe.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n