A pilot project on Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), which aims to disseminate principles-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and responsible citizens has been launched in Odisha.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) on Tuesday.
Odisha is the first state in the country to launch the OVEP, officials said.
The Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) is based on the Olympic philosophy that learning takes place through the balanced development of body and mind. Adopting the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship means striving for these in all fields of life. The OVEP programme is based on these cornerstones; using the universality of sport to support delivery of curriculum inside and outside of the classroom.
OVEP-based projects and activities help address the global challenges of sedentary lifestyles, lack of concentration and adolescents dropping out of school, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a release.
The inaugural pilot project seeks to impact 32,000 children enrolled in 90 schools in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in the first year. Once in full swing, it will reach around 70 lakh children across the country.
"This will be the beginning of (a) new Olympic movement in the country," Patnaik said in the virtual event.
The chief minister underlined that children would benefit from the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. He hoped that these partnerships would make a significant contribution towards impactful holistic development of the school children.
"Education is an integral part of the Olympic Movement's continuous contribution to society," IOC education commission chair Mikaela Jaworski said, adding that the OVEP had been implemented around the world since 2006.
The programme, which will be integrated in school syllabus, is being developed in partnership with the School and Mass Education (SME) Department of Odisha and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust.
Odisha intends to take the OVEP to all schools and higher education institutions in a phased manner. The project aims to leverage the rich cultural and art history of the state in tailoring the curriculum to the schoolchildren, the IOC said.
"Proud & elated to take the first step towards making values-based learning a reality for the over 250 million school children in India," Bindra tweeted.
It is crucial to equip schoolchildren with the right skills to be able to cultivate a strong sense of morality, equality and inclusion, he added.
Teachers will be trained and empowered to deliver the programme in their own unique ways to suit the respective needs of their prefectures and local environments.
Indian Olympic Association chairperson Narinder Batra said Odisha would create an example for other states through this unique movement.
"Only a small number of children in the world will become Olympians, but every child can be touched by the ideals of Olympism!" IOC member Nita Ambani said.
That is the mission of OVEP and that is what makes it a huge opportunity for India, Ambani added.
