EURO 2016 - should children watch Eng vs Wales at school

[OX3Mum]

My football loving kids are distraught that their primary school isn't showing the England vs Wales Euro 2016 match this Thursday at 2pm - apparently for 'technical reasons'. Are any other primary schools showing it /letting kids go home early - or are there going to be loads of kids going home sick this Thursday lunchtime...?

Its just a football game. No need to disrupt schools and parents.

Neither of the schools my DC go to have mentioned it at all. DS would have to get a school bus before it finished anyway.

But it is an historic event. No-one's saying that ALL England matches should be shown, or ALL Wales games.

It's England-Wales, in the world's second-most tournament, in the world's most popular sport.

The last time this happened was England-Scotland, twenty years ago.

This is a big deal for the United Kingdom. Even though I do see why people who don't like footy are irritated, it is still a major event.

I remember being at school when the world cup was on one year and we were allowed to watch all England games which were on during school hours, due to time zones some of them were on quite early so we were allowed to go to breakfast club and watch the game in the hall.

Don't see the problem with it personally, but equally I don't feel schools should have to show it either and it should be down to their discretion.

Not a major event to me, I've got a potential lucrative client to see tomorrow, that is a major event as it could mean I can pay dds uni fees.
Horses for courses

Definitely not. Waste of teaching time and torture for kiuds who are not interested. Would they also show Wimbeldon and other events for those interested?

Ds1 (year 5) is being allowed to watch it. Ds2 in year 2 doesn't know whether his year are allowed. DH's work is closing down at 1pm!

I can only assume that the schools showing it are mostly in wales ...? In which case, sort of fair enough. It isn't a thing round here at all (I'm in England). I'd be livid if they showed it at my kids' school instead of lessons

A school near me has organized sports day for Thursday pm.

The Welsh dads are not happy!

I know someone who took the day off work, presuming sports day would be in the morning as usual...it was only announced last week sports day will be in the afternoon this year. They are not happy.

But no, I don't think schools need to show it. There are lots of important sporting events and there just isn't time to watch them all.

I wonder what the correlation is between schools in England who are showing the match and schools with a male head teacher .

DS's school has a male head.

I don't get this? Do you expect them to watch every historic cricket and rugby match too? Probably fifty per cent of the class will have no interest in football at all. I know my 8 year old boy would rather have a maths test than watch it!

I really don't understand the uproar from some parents. I don't agree with it being compulsory, DS's school will have other activities for the children that don't want to watch. I definitely don't agree with charging for it, that's ridiculous. But it's an hour of missing lessons. Not really the end of the world. For sporting fans, it is a big deal. DS's school missed proper lessons last Friday as they were celebrating the Queens birthday. Would parents complain about that too?

Yesterday, DS missed a whole day of lessons to go to watch the hockey champions trophy in London. I thought it was a great experience for him. Life isn't just about academia. Experiences like this can be a great thing for them. I remember watching some England matches when I was at school, even the children that didn't particularly like football got involved in the excitement and patriotism.

Fair enough if they were showing every 2pm match throughout the tournament but as a one off I don't think it's worth getting het up about.

Quite frankly I'm surprised at the number of people who agree with this. I know for a fact that they won't be showing a football match in the knockout stages of a tournament at DD's school. In fact I would be surprised if any secondary school round here would interrupt the curriculum for a relatively unimportant football match

If it had been the semi final or cup final of the world cup I could see it happening though.

at the idea that watching football matches can contribute to making you "a rounded citizen of the world".

The only reason I'm even vaguely aware of the World Cup is all the recent violence. It seems to me the it is more likely to induce tribalism.

Great idea. DS2 school is showing it (secondary). Anything that's a break from the norm and introduces a light hearted moment into the school day is a good thing in my book. They'll remember it in years to come. Class bonding and all that!

Yes my kids' primary is showing it. I don't have strong opinions either way although was surprised as knowing the headteacher I really doubt she approves. Guess it's the only way to make sure it doesn't damage those attendance stats! Parents also have choice to pick up and half time, normal end of day or full time.

My DS's secondary school is showing it; I think it's ridiculous, he is in Y10 - surely there are more important things he could be doing . And of course imagine the uproar if you asked for authorisation to leave school to do anything even slightly educational.

Both DS1&2's secondary and DD's primary are showing it. Which I think is great. But then I've taken the afternoon off work myself to watch it - I'm Welsh and this might not happen again in my lifetime!

I'm amazed at how many people think this is so very important. I wasn't aware of the match until reading it on here.

May the best team win.

We always watched England World Cup and euro games in the school hall.
I have very fond memories of France 98 and cheering England on. My dad did offer to make a fake appointment to get me out early if they didn't screen it, as did many other parents.

It comes to one or two afternoons every two years max. Not something to get your knickers in a twist about. There's plenty of things done in school that have little or no educational value but many of the kids find enjoyable - particularly towards the end of summer time.

It isn't 'class bonding' for those that don't like football just even more isolating. They already feel different at play time when most of the boys spend all their time playing football.

My friend who is a teacher says most of the bad behaviour at play times is caused by football and she wishes her school would ban it.

I'd be furious if my DSs were still at school and it was being shown. They had no interest in football and they can't be the only ones.

It's just a game - there are far more important things to be doing in school.

What's so special about the match? I don't understand - it's in the very early stages of the tournament, isn't it? Is it that it is between two countries within the UK? As far as I know, there are more children with families from France, Poland, Pakistan, India, China and Nepal in our school than there are with families from Wales, so would that mean that we should take time off for sporting matching between England and those countries, too?

Ds2 (14) at Secondary will be watching at school, he's really happy. I don't mind at all.

Yabu. The schools don't stop for any other national sporting event so why should this one be any different? I'd have sympathy for football supporters if they stopped classes for any other sporting event invoking a national team. For my family, that would include rugby, hockey and gymnastics as well as football. I can't see it happening.