Sport for Development addressing SDG 4

Despite the growing momentum around sport for development, it remains an underutilised tool, particularly as it relates to educational development objectives. To commemorate the 6 April International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Brianna Salvatore (UNESCO-IIEP Learning Portal) takes an in-depth look at how sport for development can be used to effectively address SDG4 and help “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

Sport for Development (SFD) in addressing the SDGs:

The 6 April International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, was created as part of a larger initiative in “recognising the transformative power of sport and its great potential in advancing positive social change.” Sport is similarly recognised by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an “important enabler of sustainable development.” During the UNESCO Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI-Kazan 2017), sport was officially recognised as a tool to address 10 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with the most relevant listed below:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 10: Reduce inequality
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Sport for Development plays an important role in Educational Development Goals

In addressing SDG4, sport proves to be an innovative tool in that it is cross-cutting, and engages students in both formal and informal educational environments in a way that traditional teaching methods cannot. Accordingly, the KAZAN Action Plan documents particularly influential ways in which sport tackles educational development goals:

Physical Education and sport are “Fundamental rights for all” and important components of equitable and quality education (SDG 4.1)
Quality physical education and sport learning environments contribute to broader educational outcomes (SDG 4.7)
Sport promotes transferable soft-skills (leadership, discipline, empathy, respect) and improves school attendance (SDG 4.5)
Sport provides experiential and empowering education and engages a diverse range of students (SDG 5.1)
Sport contributes to eliminative gender disparities through inclusive and equitable delivery of sport programs (SDG 4.5)
Sport promotes holistic development and life-long learning, and is a platform to develop leadership skills to promote sustainable development (SDG 4.7)

Sport for Development initiatives with an educational focus

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are pioneering the use of sport to address educational development goals, providing a pertinent example to the ecosystem of development actors as to just how powerful this tool can be. These NGOs are leveraging sport in a variety of ways, increasing school participation, tackling psychological barriers to increase educational achievement, or even teaching STEM through sport. Three NGOs in particular, Play International, RUN, and MLSE LaunchPad, demonstrate diverse and successful development strategies within the education sector.

Play International in partnership with the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement is using sport as part of their “Playdagogy” methodology as a way to keep Burundian children in school. The “Playdagogy” methodology works as a participatory strategy that “uses sports games to raise children’s awareness of the importance of school, but also to dismantle stereotypes around poverty, gender, or disability.” The “Playdagogy” strategy has impacted over 10,000 Burundian children. It also has grassroots programs in Haiti, India, and Kosovo among other locations.