“It must never be forgotten that academic learning and sports education complement each other,” said the Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry at the second day of the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) Conference on Development.
According to Minister Henry, sports education and academic learning resemble two sides of the same coin. She said, “If sports education is carried out accompanied with the academic curriculum, the overall personality of the student is increased to quite an extent.”
Addressing members of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) at the Marriott Hotel, Minister Henry said that sports has been and will continue to be a vital aspect of the school curriculum.
“One of the Ministry of Education’s mandate is to ensure that students are physically and emotionally healthy and that they remain focus, so that they perform well in their academics,” Minister Henry noted.
It was further explained that the Ministry of Education has provided Sports and Physical Education curriculum guides from primary to secondary education.
According to the Education Minister, in 1995 the Allied Arts Department of the Ministry in collaboration with the Commonwealth Sports Development Programme produced a school Physical Education Curriculum.
Moreover, she said that the Ministry collaborates with many external agencies to fulfil its mandate and provide optimal learning that benefits students, schools, regions and by extension Guyana.
“The Guyana Football Federation Inc. and the Federation Internationale de Football Association, are among the external agencies that join forces with the Ministry to fulfil the best practices in physical Education and sports. These Associations must be commended for their dedication, commitment and tireless effort in implementing well-structured and sustainable School Football Programmes,” Minister Henry remarked.
The Development Conference, which was opened on Tuesday, is aimed at discussing and highlighting ways to further develop the sport of football.
Following her presentation, Minister Henry was presented with the official ball to be used for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be hosted in France. (A Ministry of Education release)
