David Beckham Surprises Students in Vizag’s Residential School
Students at the MJPAPBCWREIS girls’ residential school in Kothavalasa had an unexpected visitor on Wednesday. Sir David Beckham, former England football captain and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, walked into their classrooms during a normal morning of project work.
Beckham was there to see how Project-Based Learning is changing the way children learn. The programme, introduced by Mantra4Change and Education Above All, is helping schools across Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Nagaland move from traditional teaching to hands-on learning.
He spent time inside a live PBL session where students led discussions and worked on group tasks. He also explored an exhibition of projects in English, Mathematics, and Science. The displays showed how students now analyse real-life problems and design practical solutions.
The visit continued outdoors with a tree-planting activity. Students explained how each sapling is tagged with a digital identifier. In the library, Beckham joined a reading circle and talked with children about the books that inspire them. His four-hour visit ended with a one-touch football drill that brought loud cheers across the campus.
Beckham later posted on Instagram: “Great day in India going back to school supporting Education Above All’s project based learning initiatives so much fun.”
Madhavi Latha, secretary of MJPAPBCWREIS, said the school was proud to host him. “His presence in a place like Kothavalasa shows that when we work with dedication, extraordinary things can happen.”
Mantra4Change, working with the MJP Society and supported by Education Above All, has redesigned teaching in 107 residential schools across Andhra Pradesh. The initiative reaches about 18,000 students and trains school leaders to make PBL a part of everyday learning.
Santosh More, co-founder of Mantra4Change, said the visit highlights the importance of innovation in public schools. “Project-Based Learning is raising children’s aspirations, and moments like this motivate us to keep pushing for change.”
The visit also boosts Shikshagraha, a national movement co-built by Mantra4Change to improve one million public schools across India.