Football for Schools programme sees discussion between GFF and MoE

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand met with representatives of the Guyana Football Federation to discuss the implementation of a FIFA sponsored football programme in schools on Wednesday.

It was disclosed that football for Schools (F4S) is a programme launched by FIFA  in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The programme seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system and contributing to the development and empowerment of children. It further targets children for the ages of 4-14 inclusive. The ministry noted that the programme is being rolled out in all 211 countries which are a part of FIFA. However, Guyana is the first country in the Caribbean region selected to pilot the programme.

Manickchand during the meeting welcomed the programme and said that it aligns with the Education Ministry’s plans to ensure that students are well-rounded and graduate secondary school having been exposed to at least one musical instrument, sport, language and TVET subject. The ministry pointed out that some 50 coach-educators will be trained who will then be responsible for training children from the age of four to 14 across the 11 education districts.

The Education Ministry stressed that they will immediately begin to look at the curriculum for the programme to ensure the concepts that are intended to be taught off the field are age appropriate. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alfred King, Education Specialist, Dr Olato Sam, Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts, Ms Lorraine Barker- King, Assistant Chief Education Officer – TVET, Ms Marcia Paddy, GFF President Mr Wayne Forde, Vice-President Mr Jullian Lovell and Administrative Assistant and Lady Jaguars player Lakeisha Pearson were all present during the meeting.