QLA Teacher Wins Education Excellence Award

Khalaf Al Mereikhi, a physical education teacher at Qatar Leadership Academy, has been recognized at the 15th Education Excellence Award ceremony. He received a Platinum Medal in the Distinguished Teacher category – marking the second consecutive time that an educator from QLA has received an award in this group.

Al Mereikhi began his career at Qatar Leadership Academy – part of Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Pre-University Education – eight years ago, and in this time has become a role model to the students he teaches, encouraging them to become health and fitness advocates.

As a physical education teacher, Al Mereikhi praises QF's efforts to instill a culture of sports among young people. Highlighting that it reflects the overall goal of the country, with Qatar striving to embed it within local society, he explains how exercise can play an instrumental role in addressing health challenges, such as obesity and diabetes.

"At QLA, we monitor our students’ lifestyles, and training programs have been developed to promote health and fitness,” he said.

This year, the Education Excellence Award ceremony falls just before World Obesity Day, which is annually marked on March 4. Pointing out some of the issues students have that prevent them from exercising, Al Mereikhi said: “Sometimes students are interested in playing sports, but they struggle to because they’re obese. And in the past two years, obesity rates have increased due to COVID-19.”

Al Mereikhi explained that there has been an increase in awareness among community members about the importance of exercising, and that QLA aims to build a generation of young people passionate about sports.

“We have student athletes enrolled in various sports, and we help them refine their skills by enabling them to play in local and international tournaments from a young age.

“And if students are not sports-inclined, they may have leadership potential instead. For example, recently a competition was held at QLA for high school students, and it was organized by seventh grade students, who were very proud of the work they put into arranging it.”

QLA houses many sporting facilities, from basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts to a multipurpose hall and an outdoor swimming pool. And students are encouraged to practice sports during school hours, as well as after.

Expressing pride and delight in receiving the award, Al Merekhi credited the QF school for his success.  “This achievement is the culmination of years of work in the field of education. In my opinion, winning this award is not because of one person – I would not have had this experience, academically and professionally, had I not been at QF or had the constant and continuous support of my colleagues.”

And sending a message to youth, he highlighted the importance of hard work: “I call on young people to show initiative and perseverance, and to be responsible, ambitious, and work hard, as we have all the ability to succeed and reach our goals.”

ENDS

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa