Blend in like Beckham: Football icon lights up a rural school in Vizag

Former England football captain and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham recently visited the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Residential School, a girls’ school under the Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Welfare Educational Society, located near Kothavalasa, Visakhapatnam. The visit aimed to promote project-based learning and highlight the importance of education for all, including students from marginalized communities.

During his four-hour visit, Beckham actively engaged with students in classrooms, appreciating musical instruments they had crafted by hand, coaching them in football skills on the playground, and helping them plant saplings. He also posed for photos with enthusiastic students from underprivileged backgrounds. Teachers and local leaders praised Beckham for supporting creative learning initiatives in Andhra Pradesh government schools.

Beckham participated in a live project-based learning session in the classroom, where students took the lead in discussions on English, mathematics, and science and showcased their projects. During the tree-planting activity, students demonstrated how they use digital identifiers to scan and label saplings to track growth and impact. He also joined a reading circle in the school library, discussing books that inspire children’s imagination. The visit concluded with an energetic “one-touch” football drill, blending his background as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador with his love for the sport.

The project-based learning initiative is a collaboration between the m4change program and the Education About All Foundation. It has been implemented in 107 residential schools across Andhra Pradesh, reaching nearly 18,000 students. This innovative teaching approach aims to improve classrooms not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in other Indian states such as Bihar, Odisha, and Nagaland. Beckham’s visit brings national attention to these efforts, which are part of a larger movement, Shikshagraha, co-created by m4change to enhance education in over one million government schools across India.

Following the visit, Andhra Pradesh Education Minister expressed gratitude to Beckham on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Thank you to legendary footballer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham for visiting our government residential school near Kothavalasa, Visakhapatnam. Your warm conversations and encouragement brought joy and energy to our classrooms and playgrounds. Our students were inspired to learn from your dedication and discipline, lessons that will stay with them for life. We deeply appreciate your commitment to children’s dreams and education.”