OCEANIA Football Confederation (OFC) technical director Jim Selby has introduced the new “Just Play” program to the Education Department.

On Monday, Selby met officers from the Education Department with a proposal to install the new concept as part of the syllabus within the Papua New Guinea school system.

The OFC has already started the new program in Vanuatu, with Fiji and the Solomon Islands also in line.

“The program is targeted for children between the ages of six to 12 years and importantly teachers as well,” Selby said yesterday.

“The OFC provides the resource material which includes balls, markers and color bibs in a sports kit,” he said.

Selby said the idea was for the teachers to come up with ideas for games.

“As per the program, we give the materials to encourage the children to just play,” he said.

Selby said while the equipment was meant for soccer, it was encouraging to make use of the material for other sports as well.

“After facilitating a train the trainers course for instructors, they will then train the teachers,” he said.

Selby said importantly he was here to ensure that only capable people were in place to develop the programs when he left.

“This is also part of OFC’s social responsibility to promote health and good social behavior towards living a better life,” he said.

He said that the program was not meant to veer away from existing values established by the Education Department.

“The program has been established by the OFC in conjunction with the PNG Football Association,” he said.

Selby said the Education Department representatives were happy about the new concept.

He said that the major partners in the program were the OFC, OFC member associations and the Education Department.

Selby is also here to:

* Establish a criteria for the effective setting up of a technical department.

* Meet school representatives to discuss world trends on age appropriate games for children.

* Organise National Soccer League (NSL workshop with the aim to discuss the world trends to develop semi-professional players.