Football in Schools: ensuring the beautiful game is on every syllabus
Thursday, September 30, 2021
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European associations are drawing on UEFA funding to ensure the benefits of football stretch far beyond school playing fields.
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Each year, UEFA’s Grassroots Week, which takes place during the annual European Week of Sport, highlights the importance of ensuring everyone, everywhere has an equal opportunity to play football in a safe and quality-controlled environment. For the 2021 edition – from 23 to 30 September – UEFA and its 55 member associations are focusing on football in schools.
The Football Association of Moldova (FMF) kick-started the week by staging a school football festival in Chişinău at the brand-new Nikolai Gogol Lyceum pitch, where girls and boys from three local schools pitted their skills against European football legends: UEFA ambassador Luís Figo of Portugal, former UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Nadine Kessler, Brazilian defender Maxwell Scherrer, Croatia’s Zvonimir Boban and Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane.
The Chişinău pitch is one of six municipal school football pitches renovated with funds channelled through the FMF. It is one of numerous four-year school football projects being rolled out by UEFA member associations thanks to funding provided through UEFA’s Football in Schools programme.
Learning life values through football
By encouraging partnerships between associations, education authorities and schools across Europe, UEFA hopes to give more children the opportunity to learn core values early in life by playing football: fair play, respect, teamwork and leadership.
Alongside grassroots coach education and club development, the initiative is a key component of the governing body’s grassroots football programme. Over the next three seasons, UEFA will channel €11 million in funding to support Football in Schools initiatives – one quarter of the total €44 million earmarked for grassroots football support to associations from 2020 to 2024.
As Grassroots Week 2021 draws to a close, we look at Football in School projects being implemented by two national associations: Scotland and Moldova.
Scottish Football Association (SFA): Learning through Football
- Schools running activities: 480
- Number of school children: 21,000 (2024 projection)
In partnership with Glasgow City Council, the SFA has developed an online platform that uses the common language of football to teach seven subjects, primarily at primary school level: languages, maths and numeracy, health and well-being, science, technologies and expressive arts.
“Teachers can go into the platform, pick up a couple of subject ideas and they can use football as a vehicle for learning,” said Paul McNeill, SFA head of community development.
According to Jacqueline Church, principal teacher at the Miller Primary School, one of 480 schools expected to use the online resource by 2024: "Not only are the assignments fun and interesting, but the children are able to apply a range of skills to meaningful life contexts, boosting their confidence and leadership skills.
“By exploring jobs within the industry, they are also recognising the teamwork, communication and perseverance skills we need to work in any job, which sets them in good stead for the future.”
Football Association of Moldova (FMF): Football in Schools
- Schools running activities: 230
- Number of school children: 45,000
The FMF's Football in Schools programme is a core component of the national education curriculum and a central pillar of the association's 2020–24 strategy for developing football.
Working closely with the ministry of education and local public authorities, the FMF is rolling out the programme in kindergartens, schools, specialised classes and football academies.
"The scope of the Football in Schools project is unprecedented since the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova," said FMF president Leonid Oleinicenco at the school festival event in Chişinău.
Chişinău’s municipal authority plans to invest €1 million in 2021 towards improving school infrastructure, increasing the salaries of teachers and coaches involved in football in schools and providing food twice a day for children participating in football classes. In total, it plans to build more 16 football fields for local schools.
"The construction of such pitches is possible thanks to the full support of UEFA. Thanks to UEFA, we are improving a sports infrastructure that has stagnated over time," added Mr Oleinicenco.
Football Association of Finland: Read and Move
- Schools running activities: 2,230
- Number of school children: 50,000
The Read and Move The Owl campaign supported, encouraged and inspired children on two important areas; reading and moving. The campaign was aimed at all Finnish kindergartens and pupils in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades of primary schools. Classes collected feathers for the owl by completing reading and exercise tasks. Participants were encouraged to share photos, videos of their group's reading and exercise moments on social media with the tag #Read! Every week, prizes were awarded with one lucky class receiving match tickets for all students to a World Cup qualifier match at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
“Football and books are two of the best things I know and that is why I am very happy to be a part of the campaign. There are many benefits to reading and playing and my hope is that children and young people will also understand how important they are. Everyday life gets better when we give space and time to move and read.”
Tim Sparv, Finland international footballer