Quality education is the foundation for improving people’s lives and achieving sustainable development. Access to inclusive and sustainable education enables people to escape poverty, deepens our knowledge of the world around us, and provides better opportunities for all, particularly girls. Goal 4 aims to ensure that everyone has access to education, regardless of who they are or where they live.

How can sport address this issue ?

Inclusive sports activities have long been used to promote education. Physical activity and sport play a major role in early childhood development.

According to the World Health Organization, children and young people aged 5 to 17 need an hour of physical activity every day. That is because sport improves overall fitness levels, develops self-confidence, fosters personal development and psychological well-being, and reduces anxiety. It also helps to reduce isolation and strengthen social integration. Schools are among the most suitable environments for learning and practising sports.

Various studies show that physical activity improves academic performance and school retention rates. It develops attention spans, concentration and memory skills, and fosters positive classroom behaviours, such as respect for the rules and for others. Sport promotes inclusive values to prevent violence and reduce the school dropout rate. It provides a framework and a space for dialogue and effective awareness-raising to help young people who are not enrolled in or have dropped out of school to embark on training initiatives. Sport also contributes to the economic, social and civic integration of marginalised young people.

Project related to Goal 04

Improving school access and retention with Playdagogy

The NGO PLAY International has developed Playdagogy, a participative and playful method to detect children who drop out of school, to encourage them to stay in school or to accompany them in their return to school.