How children in India are learning math and science through football
Football is being used as part of an internet-free learning program to support the education of children without access to technology in remote parts of India. Pupils develop skills in subjects like math and science through football-focused tasks as well as learning sport skills outside the classroom.
For teacher Manpreet Kaur Punia, innovative learning tools that use football are helping her keep students engaged when teaching math to children from low-income families in India’s Punjab region.
Punia and her colleagues at the Bharti Foundation—the philanthropic arm of Indian conglomerate Bharti Enterprises—are seeing the benefits of using resources from Education Above All Foundation’s bank of technology-free learning materials.
With modules suitable for children aged four to 15, the Internet Free Education Resource Bank encourages learning through project- and play-based activities. Using sport as part of these modules is key to promoting children’s education says Janhvi Maheshwari-Kanoria, director of innovation at the Education Above All Foundation.
“We want to bring science, literacy, and numeracy alive by using creative ways for children to learn through play. Football is exciting and it offers so many opportunities to learn a range of things, like for example the laws of physics through angles of ball movement, math when thinking of distance and speed, and biology when balancing the players’ stamina. And what a child learns through a sport that they enjoy will stay with them,” says Maheshwari-Kanoria.
The method was first used to support continued learning during school closures throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the resources have been translated into 15 languages including Arabic, Dari, Pashto, and Tamil and have been used by more than 827,000 students in countries around the world.
Football for learning
In modules like ‘Football for Thought’, one of the more than 150 project-based lessons, pupils develop an understanding of human biology and numeracy by learning how to measure their heart rate and track how it changes with different levels of exercise. They also learn about a balanced diet and the importance of hydration in sport.
“Math and science are tough and boring subjects, this project makes them more interesting,” says 13-year-old student Sukhmanpreet Kaur, who is one of the almost 25,000 children at the Satya Bharti schools who are using the learning resources. “Some of my friends who were struggling in these subjects are doing a little better now that they can learn by playing football.”
We already have most of the materials that we need to teach this module in our school, so this method doesn’t strain our finances. Students are very interested. They are extremely energetic and are channeling their energy through football and learning at the same time.
Teacher, Manpreet Kaur Punia
Educational support in remote places
According to the World Bank, more than 6.5 million children of primary school age in India were out of school in 2020. Low-resource learning materials like those produced by Education Above All Foundation are supporting the education of children in some of the most remote regions of the country.
By positioning football as an opportunity to learn and not just a game to be won, the Education Above All Foundation is empowering some of the world’s most vulnerable children to reach their academic and future goals.
