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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:
Muddlingthroughtoo · 14/06/2016 21:14

Ours are watching it, they did the rwc too.

imwithspud · 14/06/2016 21:25

Sarah are you opposed too trips to the theme park, bring in a board game/toy day at the end of term and other non-educational activities that occasionally happen at most schools or is it just the football which you have a problem with?

cricketballs · 14/06/2016 21:27
  1. Why is this match unusual? Don't England and Wales play each other several times a year? They're right next door?!

This is the first time in years they have played each other in an important tournament

  1. If it is such a special match, why is it being played at a time and day when most of the population will be unable to watch it

both the English FA and the Welsh FA made applications for this match to be changed to an evening kick off, UFEA said no

As previously said, it’s not in the middle of the school day, the first half will be in the last hour of the day

backing “don't we live in a democracy where the majority vote overrides

By that token we'd have our children studying X Factor instead of Shakespeare.”
Now that is being bloody ridiculous Hmm

HanYOLO · 14/06/2016 21:30

Our kids can watch it and I'm happy for them to do so.

DD won't be impressed though.

gunther73 · 14/06/2016 21:37

This is a non-question, OP. You could rephrase this as "do you love football" and the respondents would give you roughly the same answers. I can't stand football, however I can see that others derive a certain amount of pleasure from it. Go ahead, rain on their parade of you must.

derxa · 14/06/2016 21:40

Tom Peake bleugh

cricketballs · 14/06/2016 21:42

the technical reasons for our school is to do with the bandwidth; our internet is via the LA and during the eclipse it gave up completely as so many were trying to stream it that we didn't have the internet capacity to stream on so many machines throughout the LA (this was the H&S solution as we couldn't get 1000+ safety specs/guarantee every student would wear them)

AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 14/06/2016 21:42

Despite what you may like to think not all people or children like football!

Well if you had read my post properly you would have seen that I did say not everyone liked it, but that it was more popular than any other sport.
I didn't say not liking football was snobbery, rather that some posters appear to look down on others that do.

SarahAnderson · 14/06/2016 21:47

You lot have a very very very very low bar for what's 'historical'. It's not even the world cup! It's a regional tournament. And it's not even the final!

SarahAnderson · 14/06/2016 21:48

"Sarah are you opposed too trips to the theme park, bring in a board game/toy day at the end of term and other non-educational activities that occasionally happen at most schools or is it just the football which you have a problem with?"

I'm not mad keen on them either tbh, but they're better than just watching TV, which is what this is.

cricketballs · 14/06/2016 21:53

Sarah you might think that euro 2016 is just a regional tournament, but millions of football fans would disagree with you...it might not be the final, but the first time the teams have met in a major tournament and the result has major implications on the progress of both teams

Its not just watching TV, but about being a team, being together to watch something, support something about showing support in a friendly and supportive manner and being a community

imwithspud · 14/06/2016 22:00

Meh, you sound like a bit of a fun sponge to me Sarah.

Let's get some perspective here. It's an hour at the end of one school day, it's hardly going to ruin a child's entire academic achievement potential.

Balletblue · 14/06/2016 22:01

We've already had football numeracy and football literacy in my DC's school. The football literacy replaced their history topic for that term. It just seems like overkill to me.

nuttymango · 14/06/2016 22:09

We haven't been asked for consent, nor has a letter been sent out. Both ds's told me Angry

Noodledoodledoo · 14/06/2016 22:14

Well I have a GCSE class to prepare for an exam which is imminent so it will have an impact on them!

Also Tim Peake was for about a 15-20 minute duration. The eclipse was about 40 minutes and had loads of educational science stuff done prior to it in science lessons.

A football match has very little educational value to give up a whole lesson for.

cricketballs · 14/06/2016 22:18

Noodle; if your yr 11 class is anything like my 2 groups have been, then the vast majority wouldn't even turn up whilst this match was on! (I have a lot of footballers in both GCSE groups, but luckily for me there exams are done and dusted)

cricketballs · 14/06/2016 22:22

sorry their not there Blush

Noodledoodledoo · 14/06/2016 22:25

Luckily its a top set who know they will get into a lot of trouble if they don't show - we don't allow them off site at lunch so unless we have a lot of dentist appointments it will be hard to escape the lesson! It's also a Yr 10 class so are still in school but have their exam this year!

We are also a sports college so we have a lot of sporty bods! Although I have been told some are at a basketball match!

SarahAnderson · 14/06/2016 22:35

"the first time the teams have met in a major tournament and the result has major implications on the progress of both teams"

this is insane.

There are actual matters of importance happening in the world. Actual historical things. Not just a couple of teams playing some sports against each other, which will then impact whether those teams get to play some sports against other teams.

No wonder we underperform in international education rankings if these are our priorities.

FaFoutis · 14/06/2016 22:50

I agree with Sarah.

Clandestino · 15/06/2016 05:07

Relax. It's good they let them watch. I hope Wales beat England.

sashh · 15/06/2016 05:14

Having said that can't see it doing much harm. I do think other things should be on offer for the DC who don't want to watch.

I think it is harmful because they will not be showing the women's Euro next year. It is sending a message that men's sport in general, and football in particular is important, more important than education.

OrangesandLemonsNow · 15/06/2016 06:38

Relax. It's good they let them watch. I hope Wales beat England.

I hope England beat Wales Wink

cannotlogin · 15/06/2016 07:30

Showing it in schools (or any other work place) will:
Minimise the number of people who call in sick with a 24 hour bug.
Minimise absences in school for the day because there will be parents who would keep off football mad kids.

My school is doing it. Not personally impressed as I have plenty to be getting on with but I understand the logic behind it.

twinmamma2b · 15/06/2016 07:52

Here in Wales it IS a one-off and thus lots of schools are showing it. I can understand why parents in England don't see the need to show it - England are in major football tournaments every other year so it's nothing special. Other than the neighbourly rivalry.