Passion for football helps students improve reading skills

Using football as a tool to aid education, the Football Literacy pilot project with the Cospicua Primary School came to a close on Friday when the participating students, their teachers and sports leader Saviour Darmanin visited the Malta FA Technical Centre and National Stadium at Ta’ Qali. Brimming with enthusiasm, the seven boys who took part in this initiative roamed the new Trophies Lounge on Level 2 of the Millennium Stand where they were greeted by Dr Clifton Grima, the new Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, and Dr Angelo Chetcuti, the Malta FA General Secretary. Entitled ‘Bil-Qari u l-Kitba Niskorja’ (Footballers Read and Write Programme), the project was intended for fourth- and fifth-year students in state primary schools. These students were given the opportunity to partake in writing and reading activities with football being the central theme, hence the backing of the Malta FA for this project. The overriding objective was that, through their passion for football, students are encouraged to read more and express their thoughts in writing. One of the students posted this message on the internet page of this programme: “Thanks to Ms Sarah and Mr Saviour, I began to read. With your encouragement, you convinced me.” “This pilot project wouldn’t have reaped the desired rewards if all this involved in the literacy and football sectors didn’t pull in the same direction,” a statement on the Physical Education Malta Facebook page said. “The persons involved in this project were Chris Agius (former Parliamentary Secretary for Sport), Dr Angelo Chetcuti (MFA), Kevin Azzopardi, Physical Education Official, Saviour Darmanin, Sports Leader, and David Muscat, Charmaine Bonello and Sarah Busutil from the National Literacy Agency.”