The World Cup’s effect on life at school by Jake Loh Sutton Grammar

One aspect you might not have considered is how the football matches have been affecting life at school. In this age of technology where everyone seems to have a smart device, match updates spread like wildfire. Smart watches, phones, school computers. At break and lunch, within 25 seconds of a goal, the entire classroom knows the new scoreline, who scored and what it means for the England teams’ chances.

The playground has been left half empty, with children packed into classrooms occupied by teachers kind enough to put the games on the electronic whiteboards. Throughout lunch times, I’ve seen student go door to door, begging any staff member they can find to play the ongoing game. Even games like Quatar vs Senegal fill rooms full of football mad fans, filled with World Cup buzz.

Even the teachers themselves aren’t immune to the hype. Sometimes they’ll cave in to the begging and play a match during a lesson in the background, or let the class enjoy the game during form time. Despite needing to maintain their lesson plans and stick to their teaching duties, they might get caught with the tie live on their monitors after setting some textbook work to keep us busy. Even the sternest of teachers will cave in and give the occasional score updates.

With such a diverse school like my own, there’s a wide variety of different nationalities being supported. From Asian to Europe to America, fans whose blood lines stretch all around the globe have been talking, united in friendly competition by the international football tournament. We’ve seen Welsh heartbreak, Japanese comebacks and Saudi shocks celebrate or mourned by various parts of the community. I feel like this World Cup has not only highlighted our diversity and unique differences, but also our similarities and joint love for the sport, no matter which city, country or continent we’re from.

Thanks for reading!