British Council and Mo School successfully conclude Premier League Primary Stars pilot programme to inspire children through sport

Bhubaneshwar, 09February 2024: Mo School Abhiyan, an initiative of the Government ofOdisha, and British Council,UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, havesuccessfully concluded their pilot programmeaimed at promoting sports in school education across 30 government schools in Odisha, today.

Premier League Primary Stars is an international collaborative project between the Premier League and the British Council. It provides teachers and coaches with world-class coaching training, learning resources and activities and equips them with valuable insights into the most effective approaches for utilising sport as a powerful educational tool.It aims to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

Since its launch in India in 2019 and in Odisha in 2023, and using the Premier League Primary Starsresources, the initiative has focused on enriching children’s learning experiences through sports, enhancing Physical Education (PE) and Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHE) curricula for primary school teachers and coaches.

Through comprehensive training sessions conducted in collaboration with the Mo School Abhiyan Parichalana Sangathan, British Council and Premier League, this project provided valuable skills and tools to 54 teachers from 30 districts, enabling them to deliver engaging and principles-based PE and PSHE sessions in their respective schools.

Throughout the initiative, participants engaged in a comprehensive programme aimed at refining their teaching methodologies and incorporating Premier League Primary Stars’ principles into their sessions.

The programme culminated in a sports showcase league event, where the trained teachers demonstrated their acquired skills and conducted value-based workshops for children. This event, held at Capital Girls High School, Unit II, Bhubaneshwar exemplified the positive impact of integrating sports into education and fostering holistic development among students.

Talking about the programme, Dr Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director East and Northeast India, British Council, said,‘We are delighted to mark the successful conclusion of the Premier League Primary Stars pilot initiative in Odisha, a testament to our enduring partnership with the Government of Odisha.Odisha is rapidly emerging as the sports capital of India and this partnership that bridges sports and education to create transformative impact defines our longstanding relationship with the state.  I was fortunate to witness at first-hand the profound impact of integrating sports into education can have on young people. As a passionate sports fan, I couldn’t be happier.’

Shri Abinash Satapathy, Programme Officer from Mo School Abhiyan emphasized the importance of nurturing physical well-being and instilling life skills in students through sports, enabling them to excel both on the field and in the classroom. The initiative stands as a testament to the dedication to creating a vibrant educational environment in Odisha.

The Government of OdishaandBritish Councilsigned anOperational Alliance Agreement (OAA) in February 2023 to work together on a pilot programme designed to promote sports in school education. This unique initiative aimed to support primary school teachers and coaches to improve learning outcomes of studentsby using physical and health education to boost holistic development of children.The agreement was part of an existing collaboration between the Government of Odisha and British Council India to strengthen education throughout Odisha.