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null Regional Government prepares academic support for high-performance athletes

October 20, 2025 - Published 1 days, 15 hours and 13 minutes ago
Regional Government prepares academic support for high-performance athletes
location Ponta Delgada

Secretaria Regional da Educação, Cultura e Desporto

The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, wants schools to provide better follow-up for student athletes, young regional talents or high-performance athletes, so as to mitigate "conflicting situations between education and competitions."

The government official spoke in Ponta Delgada at a meeting that brought together regional school boards, teachers accompanying athletes and the coordinators of the monitoring and inclusive education support teams, as part of the Secretary of State for Sport's visit to the Azores.

The government official responsible for Education and Sport stated that the inclusive education model implemented in the Region integrates students "who stand out for their excellence."

"It does not focus only on students with learning difficulties. It is also focused on all those who need to make adjustments to their education, such as high-performance athletes, given the demands of training and competition, which involve long periods of absence from school activities and even from the archipelago," she pointed out.

Each athlete in these circumstances has been assigned a tutor who "ensures coordination between the class council, other school structures and the athlete's club," adapting "schedules, curricula, teaching and assessment periods."

According to the Regional Secretary, the need to present the initiative arose from an assessment carried out by the Azorean Council for High Performance Sport (CADAR), which determined the importance of “increasing the level of follow-up provided to athletes, both by schools and clubs.”

During the meeting, the Secretary of State for Sport presented the High Performance Support Unit in Schools (UAARE), developed under the National Government, explaining what is being done across Mainland Portugal.

The Regional Secretary stated that the Region is already working with the National Government to integrate the Azores into this network.

"This coordination between regional schools and the UAARE Network is crucial for sharing good practices and the multi-level monitoring of displaced athletes, increasing academic and sporting success," highlighted Sofia Ribeiro.