The United Nations General Assembly declared January 24 to be the International Day of Education on 3rd December 2018, in recognition of the contribution that education makes to fostering global peace and sustainable development.
Education is arguably one of the best tools for the advancement of sustainable development. Besides equipping learners with the necessary skills they require to do professional work, education also works to ensure that people are sensitive towards other people and nature. In order to achieve this goal, a holistic approach to education that emphasizes the development of a person’s physical, mental, and emotional selves is being prioritized by many institutions. This goal can be achieved by the use of alternative tools such as sports, which can be used in conjunction with academic activities to support the overall development of a child.
In India, discontentment with traditional mainstream educational systems has meant that there has been a rise in alternative schools. These schools, though miniscule in number, have practically demonstrated how innovative techniques, including adequate physical activities in their curriculum, can give their students a holistic, multidisciplinary education, in opposition to the usual rote memorization practiced in educational institutions.
How does sport support education?
The virtues of respect, perseverance, inclusivity, justice, teamwork, and discipline are just a few of the lessons that sports can impart. Values Education through Sport (VETS) programmes encourage active learning, hone cognitive abilities, instil sense of responsibility in students, and boost their attention span and involvement.
Sports foster leadership skills from a young age. Through sport, children are taught how to be good leaders, including how to communicate with other teammates, control team emotions, and take a stand when necessary. They can apply these abilities off the field as well, making them strong leaders.
Further, as an antidote to mental health issues, sports activities can help people deal with stress, depression and improve their mood.
Thus, in order to broaden their horizons and prepare themselves for life’s challenges, students who excel in the classroom need to participate in sports, whether for recreation or competition.
Evidence from the ground
The Community Sports Program (CSP) is a goal-oriented intervention led by Pro Sport Development (PSD) since 2015, which works with children between the ages of 5-16 years from marginalized slum communities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Through this program, the adolescent girls and boys avail themselves of the opportunity to participate regularly in sport and physical activity and understand the importance of sports in improving their health and well-being. This further influences their career choices positively and motivates them to pursue higher education.
Participants of the CSP have also noted their improved focus and concentration on their academic work, after engaging regularly in sports. This was especially important in the last two years, when continuous lockdowns and related anxiety due to COVID-19 made it difficult for many students. As a participant stated: “The lockdown affected me quite a bit – everything was shut, we couldn’t go anywhere and I did not feel good at all. I felt distracted all the time and could not focus on studies. The online program helped me enhance my concentration and focus, as it was a break from us not doing anything and sitting at home.”
Teachers working in the schools were PSD implements the CSP have also found a positive change in their students since they started participating in the program. As Mansi Nanda, a teacher at Saraswati Vidya Mandir, noted: “[Students’] attendance has improved significantly, [as] children have started coming to school more often. When they know they will be playing sport on a particular day, then they come for sure.”
Parents have also found that their children have become more academically responsible since engaging in the CSP. As a participant’s father noted: ““Earlier, Prabustab was not interested in studies and didn’t like going to school. Since the program started though, he has shown an increased interest in going to school and always tells me about new concepts he learns in class.”
Thus, not only is physical education and regular participation in sports important for children’s holistic education, but can also aid in their academic success. Evidence from the ground shows the many positive impacts that sport can have on children, and a more comprehensive approach to education must be taken that lays emphasis on the overall development of children, teaches them the value of cooperation instead of competition, and nurtures their hidden potential to allow it to express itself to the fullest.