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May 27, 2022
In recognition of the unique potential of sport as an educational and communication tool, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) created its Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in 2006 to promote peace, holistic education and social development. Leveraging Olympic sports traditions and positive sporting values, it encompasses a practical set of free resources to inspire and teach young people life skills, values and life-long participation in sport for a healthy lifesytle. This week, the IOC launched the first OVEP progam in India.
The program will be integrated into the school education system in the state of Odisha feauring curriculum developed in partnership with the Government of Odisha’s Department of School and Mass Education and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT). The program will also leverage the rich culture and art history of Odisha in tailoring the curriculum. Teachers will be trained and empowered to deliver the program in their own way to suit the respective needs of their prefectures and local communities. Formerly known as Orissa, Odisha has the 11th largest population in India.
In use around the world, OVEP is based on the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship and is delivered inside and outside the classroom using sport. The Indian launch featured Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, IOC Olympic Education Commission Chair, Michaela Cojuangco Jaworski, IOC Member, Nita Ambani, Olympian and member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Abhinav Bindra and President of the Indian Olympic Association, Narinder Batra. The goal is to impact 32,000 children enrolled in 90 schools in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, with a plan to reach around seven million children in its first year.
“Sport, as we all know, has a unique potential to spur social change and increase community engagement, and can be used as an educational tool,” said Bindra, India’s first Olympic gold medallist. “It is our primary focus area at the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust to ensure that children are equipped with better tools than we had to build more meaningful, peaceful and inclusive lives for themselves and, by extension, everyone around them.”
A 2020-21 report showed that the annual dropout rate of students in secondary schools in India was 14.6%, and children from low-income homes suffered the most as they couldn’t access remote learning during the pandemic. OVEP-based projects and activities will help address the global challenges of inactive lifestyles, lack of concentration and adolescents dropping out of school.
The resources and toolkits are designed to make it possible for young people at any skill level to enjoy and learn from physical activity and education and gain lifelong social, cognitive and physical skills. It focuses on healthy lifestyles, social inclusion, gender balance, physical and academic literacy and rebuilding local communities. To help adapt the content of the program to Odisha’s needs, the ABFT will partner with IOC in implementation, training, delivery, monitoring and evaluation.
“India is a land of great opportunities and infinite possibilities,” said Ambani. “We have over 250 million children in our schools, brimming with talent and potential. They are the champions of tomorrow, the future of our nation.
The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) leads OVEP for the IOC and will conduct training sessions for “master trainers” nominated by the state of Odisha, along with trainers from the ABFT. Together they will kick-start the program with focus groups of eight to ten schools in the state. Orientation sessions will be held for school principals, education and sports officials, and other core group members involved in the project.
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