Hundreds of thousands of pupils in schools across India are "getting lessons in the art of cricket," according to Alison Wilkins of the BBC. But for a country which "counts the sport as a national passion," these classes are "not about finding another cricket superstar such as Virat Kohli." Instead, the aim is to "challenge gender stereotypes and promote equality between the sexes." Sumita Kumari, a teacher at Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya school in Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal, said that "around 80% of India's population is from rural areas," where many children are likely to face "certain notions about gender roles." She said, "In a rural environment, a big division can be seen in the development of the two genders. Firstly, there is restriction on the freedom of girls. Secondly, there is a clear division of work between boys and girls." The Changing Moves Changing Minds project, run by the British Council, "hopes to tackle some of these attitudes through cricket and dance." British Council in India Dir Alan Gemmell said, "Sport is such a universal language. It is about teamwork, it is about coming together, and cricket is such a powerful connector across India." The scheme is being rolled out to schools across India, "with 300,000 youngsters expected to take part in lessons given by teachers who have been given specialist training over the next three years" (BBC, 8/22).
