Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday launched India’s first Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in the State.
Though the State government aims to introduce it for all schools, it will be implemented in 90 schools across two smart cities – Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in the first phase.
As per official sources, the OVEP will be launched in 27 schools in Rourkela and 63 schools in Bhubaneswar.
The first Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in India has been launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The OVEP has been developed in partnership with the Government of Odisha’s Department of School and Mass Education and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT).
Sources said, the incorporation of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) into the school curriculum of Odisha will be in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust.
“Proud & elated to take the first step towards making values-based learning a reality for the over 250 million school children in India. Launched the Olympic Values Education Programme, to be first implemented in the school education system of Odisha,” tweeted Bindra.
“The Olympic Values Education Programme has been developed and implemented around the world since 2006. Today, we are very happy that we are taking the first steps to disseminate this Olympic values-based education to children and young people in India. Olympic education and Olympic culture can be a powerful tool to bring about positive change in the world," said IOC Education Commission Chair Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski.
Official sources said that the programme aims to leverage the rich cultural and art history of Odisha in tailoring the OVEP curriculum to the school children of the state. 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.