Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

EURO 2016 - should children watch Eng vs Wales at school

260 replies

OX3Mum · 13/06/2016 21:05

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...?

OP posts:
Laiste · 14/06/2016 07:44

Football doesn't feel like part of UK culture to me. None of mine or DHs family are interested in football. I'm not, and my friends aren't. The majority of the guys DH works with aren't into it either.

What football is to me is something pointless they witter on about every.single.bloody.day on the morning news. It's idiots smashing up foreign cities in the name of England. It's a bunch of rotten fat cats at the top bribing each other to getting stinking rich. So - as you can guess by now - IMO they shouldn't be wasting school hours over this and hyping it up for little kids.

OwlinaTree · 14/06/2016 07:47

Well, my class won't be watching it, we are on a school trip!

belleandsnowwhite · 14/06/2016 07:52

I have no idea,however I don't see the problem of letting students watch an hour of football. Most students would have been working hard all year.

Ragwort · 14/06/2016 08:32

Most students would have been working hard all year.

Yes, but not all students work hard all year, if you have a lazy demotivated child and are already paying out for private tutoring the thought that a school lesson is being 'wasted' on watching a football game just doesn't feel right.

Sallystyle · 14/06/2016 08:41

I don't think they are showing it here.

I would be quite happy if they did. My two teen boys would be over the moon and I'm happy for them to miss a lesson or two for it.

I can't stand football personally, but it means the world to them. I don't understand the uproar. It's just one game.

Sallystyle · 14/06/2016 08:44

Yesterday, DS missed a whole day of lessons to go to watch the hockey champions trophy in London

My son did this too :)

CoolforKittyCats · 14/06/2016 08:45

YABU.

Should they watch all historic rugby matches, or cricket matches, or gymnastics or Olympics or or or.

It is a game.

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 14/06/2016 08:53

No, they shouldn't. It is not a once-in-a-lifetime historic event. it is a football match, and football matches occur all the time. To say as one poster did that this is a massive event is quite frankly barking mad.

The only thing I ever remember where the school stopped to watch something was the raising of the Mary Rose, which started at some ridiculous time in the morning, so we all raced to primary school and the head put the TV on in the assembly hall so we could watch it. We probably missed half an hour of normal lessons but the head felt it was a real one-off never-to-be-repeated event that was also helping to bring history to life. Don't think a football match qualifies.

I guess if it were the World Cup final between England and Wales, I might think differently as that would also be a real one-off!

pristinechristine · 14/06/2016 09:10

I wonder whether these schools will be taking children out of lessons on the 24th June and let them watch the aftermath of the referendum. Because that's an actual historic, potentially life changing event. Not a stupid game of football.

ShangriLaLaLa · 14/06/2016 09:28

It's not just a game of football if you're Welsh. It's about nation, self-belief and the tenacity to get there eventually. All things that I'd like my children to understand. Other things too.

I'm happy that DS is able to watch in his primary school and that there is a non-uniform day in celebration. DD is gutted that she has an exam in Secondary, so can't. But her girls' school is showing it in the Library for those who are free.

CoolforKittyCats · 14/06/2016 09:34

It's not just a game of football if you're Welsh. It's about nation, self-belief and the tenacity to get there eventually. All things that I'd like my children to understand. Other things too.

You could say that about many other sports aswell.

The paralympics or especially Invictus games.

That really are people who have been through a lot to get where they are.

Not footballers who are paid a lot of money to play a game.

derxa · 14/06/2016 09:40

Come on Wales! You can do it!

ApostrophesMatter · 14/06/2016 09:47

It's not just a game of football if you're Welsh. It's about nation, self-belief and the tenacity to get there eventually.

I am Welsh. Football is unimportant. Rugby is our game.

Clutterbugsmum · 14/06/2016 09:48

My dc primary school sent a letter home last night about giving permission if you would like them to watch it.

The school are using it for their golden time (Thursday instead of Friday afternoon) this week as they are having a tea party on Friday afternoon for the Queen's birthday.

FaFoutis · 14/06/2016 09:50

God no.
I'd keep my dc at home if they had to watch football at school.

araiba · 14/06/2016 09:51

It is not a once-in-a-lifetime historic event.

if youre under 60 it is! Wales havent qualified since 1958. and theyre playing england

i remember a whole nightclub stopping the music on a busy night to watch and cheer on sir steve redgrave at the sydney olympics.

watching sport as a group is a social activity

i remember going to watch an england match the night before my maths gcse- great game, my maths teacher was there too and i still passed the exam

blackheartsgirl · 14/06/2016 10:02

My daughters school is doing this and she's actually extremely anxious about it. She's 13 and is half English with an English accent rather than a Welsh one and is already getting picked on about it. She is absolutely dreading sitting in the hall with everybody else and have to listen to the anti English comments that are quite nasty at times

It's compulsory too

TellAStory · 14/06/2016 10:05

I'm in Wales - at my dds primary school the game is being shown in the hall and all who want to watch can, they are also allowed to wear red (or white if English). Pick up for those watching all of the match is 4pm.

It's good for moral and is something the children will remember for a long time!

wornoutboots · 14/06/2016 10:06

I sincerely hope my kid's school doesn't show it - we're Welsh living in England. It'd just be made into a reason to taunt my poor kid, I suspect.

(I prefer rugby anyway)

CoolforKittyCats · 14/06/2016 10:08

watching sport as a group is a social activity

Not if you don't enjoy or like that sport it isn't.

wornoutboots · 14/06/2016 10:09

blackheartsgirl
Go in and talk to the teachers about the xenophobic comments she's enduring.

She shouldn't be made to sit and watch it.

derxa · 14/06/2016 10:14

It's compulsory too That's ridiculous. Take her out of school for an urgent appointment.
I'm football mad and an ex teacher but I honestly don't know why this match is being shown in schools.

BaboonBottom · 14/06/2016 10:17

They only should if they get to watch all the other big sporting events that happen during school time.
I get the fact it seems a national obsession that the country should apparently come to a standstill for.

tinyterrors · 14/06/2016 10:18

My dcs primary school are letting the kids watch the match, with the option to either pick them up at normal time or when the matches finished. My ds is ecstatic that he gets to watch the match and even my dd who isn't really into football is looking forward to it. Our school finishes at 3 normally and the football starts at 2 so they're not even missing an hour of work (allowing 15 minutes to put work away and sort homework / reading books etc). The children who don't want to watch the match are doing craft/art activities instead.

Yes they could be working and it's only football but it's a big sport in this country and it's an England - Wales Euros match which doesn't happen often (being part English, part Welsh my team can't lose 😊).

One of my best memories of a pretty rubbish time at high-school is getting to watch one of the 2002 world cup England matches during a maths lesson. As long as they're not watching every single match I can't see the harm in missing an hour.

WaspsandBeesSting · 14/06/2016 10:20

They only should if they get to watch all the other big sporting events that happen during school time.

Exactly

Swipe left for the next trending thread