28 Aug 2022
Aspire Academy’s School has welcomed back the student-athletes for the new academic year with cautious optimism as coronavirus restrictions are gradually relaxed and a normal school year is a real possibility.
This academic year, which coincides with the biggest football event in the world, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, starts with an enrolment of 279 student-athletes of whom 74 are new joiners (30 football, 4 football referees, 22 athletics, 11 fencing, 2 squash, 2 swimming and 3 table-tennis).
“This is a new year and a new challenge, but it still comes with the global pandemic and how it affects learning,” Mr Jassem Al-Jaber, Aspire Academy School Principal, explained.
“We in Aspire have started with the student-athletes having a test for coronavirus to ensure they’re healthy.
“We are also requesting a mask to be worn during school as per regulations from the Ministry of Health.”
The easing of the restrictions means some changes for the student-athletes.
“Last year masks were worn everywhere, and they need to have a test every week, social distancing meant there were no assemblies and no academic trips,” Mr Al-Jaber pointed out.
“Now this year we start to change little bits - there's a test but only at the beginning of the academic year and we will have our weekly assembly and we will start the learning trips again.
“We hope that with time the regulations will change, and we won't have to wear masks.”
The principal added that the teachers will also find things a little easier this year.
“The learning process uses lot of techniques and one of the main ones is working in groups and so with the pandemic you needed to respect social distancing so we could not work in groups,” Mr Al-Jaber explained.
“Social distancing means some activities you simply cannot run them.
“Wearing a mask causes issues for the teachers as well for example it can make it harder for the students to hear their voices clearly.”
The principal also said the Aspire Academy will continue using Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup as a tool for the student-athletes to learn from as well as acting as ambassadors for the country.
“We have been interacting with the World Cup ever since Qatar won the bid to host the tournament in 2010,” the principal said.
“We started by adding two more main languages to the school’s curriculum as French and Spanish joined English and Arabic.
“So even if our students are not lucky enough to participate as a player, we have given them the skills to work as volunteers.
“Of course, with Aspire Academy’s world-class facilities we will be hosting some of the teams here as and so we will be encouraging the student-athletes to interact with the visitors showing them the hospitality of Qatar.
“So, we will be starting some activities with the student-athletes to highlight these things.”
Mr Al-Jaber also highlighted the importance of maintaining the balance between the academic side of being at the Aspire Academy with the sporting demands.
The majority of Qatar’s under-17 squad are currently preparing to take part in October’s qualifiers for the Asian Cup and will face not only challenges on the pitch but also in the classroom.
“As the education part of Aspire Academy we have to adapt to their sporting commitments,” the principal pointed out.
“So, we have prepared for them a ‘plan B’ for their education so they have videos, they have some tasks and other activities to complete during their training camps.
“When they are back, they have catch-up lessons and of course there are online lessons with the teachers.
“The aim is to not let them feel they are far away from education and that way inshallah they can find academic and sporting success.”