The Education Secretary has weighed in on the debate surrounding schoolchildren watching England’s early-morning World Cup clash against Mexico, suggesting pupils can still attend class despite the 1am kick-off.
This comes after head coach Thomas Tuchel encouraged parents to provide "an excuse for school" to allow children to witness the crucial match.
England's victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday secured their place against the co-hosts in Mexico City. The unusual 1am BST start time for Monday's fixture is expected to significantly impact the potential television audience.
While it has been common practice for schools and workplaces to accommodate England games during major tournaments that coincide with working hours, this pre-dawn kick-off presents a unique challenge.
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson believes that watching the match does not necessitate missing school.
Speaking to the Press Association, she stated: "It’s a late game, but children can be in school the next day." When pressed on whether children could both watch the game and attend school, she added: "Well, I think they can, yes, but it’s for parents to decide how they manage this, and of course, it depends on the age of your children, how they feel. But this is about decisions for individual families."
In contrast, German coach Tuchel had passionately urged parents to prioritise the sporting event. He advised: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football."
He further argued: "Come on. There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch. There will be a big, big match on in four days and we need the support of everyone, and especially of the children."
Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith offered a more nuanced perspective, cautioning against the potential impact on learning.
Speaking on LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, she remarked: "I don’t want to be a killjoy here, but I’ll tell you what the biggest killjoy is – young people who then don’t have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life."
She acknowledged her own plans to watch: "I quite understand if people want to watch the match, including young people, I will be. I’ll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I’ll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work, looking obviously as fresh as a daisy."
Meanwhile, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, proposed a more flexible approach for Monday morning.
He commented: "It would be very good I think if the Secretary of State recognised that it’s an important event in our calendar and allow a flexible start on that Monday morning. These are such important events in our calendar, and it would be good if as many young people as possible could."
The upcoming fixture follows a dramatic turn of events for England, who narrowly avoided a humiliating World Cup exit after falling behind to DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga.
A remarkable late double from Harry Kane secured their progression, setting up the challenging encounter at the Azteca Stadium and intensifying the debate over how young fans can best support their team.
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