What do you think about school finishing early for the football?

[RequestInUse]

That really. This letter comes home Monday saying this;

*"Football is like marmite..... From time to time.... Very Important matches involving the England team are held in school time and this can cause big problems for families who value football highly...... Therefor for this match only we have made these 3 options....;

1. Collect child at 1:20pm onwards so can settle as a family to watch kick off.
2. Collect at half time, between 2:30-3:00 so adults can watch the while of the match and still collect children.
3. Collect at normal time.

All children in school that afternoon will have a choice of activities, either ther watch the while match or arts and crafts."

*somewhat shortened

I'm a bit stunned by it personally.

There's a huge cultural element to football, it's our national game and most children I know love it. I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate it, it seems like a miserable place to be.

There's a huge cultural element to football, it's our national game and most children I know love it. I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate it, it seems like a miserable place to be.

How patronising can you get?

Agree that it makes the whole attendance thing farcical. I am very careful about DD's attendance and don't agree with taking holiday in termtime but why should I bother now? Also (I'm in London so this could me more of an issue here) what about the kids who suppo other counties, will they be allowed time off to watch their country? And lastly - it's a group match FFS. It would be understandably for the final.

I'd ask the school if they're planning to allow kids the time off to watch every single one of Andy Murray's matches. Doubles included.

Oh, and what about women's football, time off for that? Course not.

I don't mind the game of football, it's everything else around it I can't stand. Given the end results of toxic masculinity we've seen in recent days I think a good long hard look at football wouldn't go amiss.

Rant over. As you were.

Complain to ofsted then. Where's that brilliant list when you need it
Teacher
Governors
Ofsted
Government
The Pope
The Queen

Or some such

I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate it, it seems like a miserable place to be.

Really? Wow

I feel sorry for people who are obsessed, and let their lives be ruled by a 'game'

I cringe to see young children dressed in tacky polyester replica football shirts - and even more when they're stretched across adult beer bellies

They didn't do it for the Olympics here. I'm sure there would've been many 'as important' finals / games / trials etc, and it was London (not likely to see that again in their lifetime).

What about royal stuff on tv too if we are waving the England flag?

I think it's poop

(dons hard hat)

It's the double standards that stick in my throat. I don't mind DD having time off to watch sporting events if I could also be assured we could have time off for the occasional important family event too. Although I imagine it all hinges on it being post afternoon registration

I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate it, it seems like a miserable place to be

I feel more sorry for the people whose lives are arranged around a football match. That seems far more miserable. Not everyone likes football. Not all children enjoy football. It's not about "appreciating" it at all, how condescending.

Anyway, as I said to husband the other night when we were trying to avoid something irrelevant like Serbia vs Albania on the telly, could we not just fast forward to the bit where England goes out on penalties to the Germans?

PinkieofPie is spot on. The worship of football players is a dreadful influence on the behaviour of so many boys. Spitting everywhere all the time is a particular pleasure. I'd be very happy to see it banned altogether I'm afraid.

Given the utter obsession with school attendance over there, I find it astonishing.

If I were a parent, I'd be extremely unimpressed!

Also agree that PinkyofPie summed it up perfectly on page 2.

But it's not ok for me to take them out early for the cricket? That's quintessentially English and if it were England vs Sri Lanka that is far more important to us as a family.

I cringe to see young children dressed in tacky polyester replica football shirts - and even more when they're stretched across adult beer bellies

That's laughable and snobbish. Plenty of people really enjoy football without being thugs

Yes. it is a game. Not important, not life changing, completely ephemeral and, of course, for children. So the concept of a National Game is a bit embarrassing and doesn't do the UK any favours on the world stage.

MERLY the Olympics are usually during the summer holidays. London 2012 began on 27th July, didn't it? Schools are off by then.
I agree with people saying hewl is patronising. My brother and father are not into football. We watch international matches sometimes, but we're not obsessed like some. My brother did 'support' a team in primary school but I suspect that was more to fit in. I like the Olympics- sports other than football get coverage.

Today 09:26 user1465023742

User is not about football being a cultural pursuit (although the snobbery around football vs eg a trip to the British museum is pretty pathetic) it's about the role it plays in English culture. You may not like it but you don't get to decide what defines English culture

If an UK team was on the final, yes, it may be justified, but not for thursday's match!

Are we teaching our children that football is more important than work? Whay would the school tell to me if I took my daughter out of school to go to theathe, take her to a Taylor Swift concert, or to enjoy sunbathing in the park or things of the like?

I think this is inconsistent with the regular school absence policy.

"Oh, but it is FOOTBALL we are talking about".

The things you can get away with in the name of football.... As if it was just another kind of religion.....

Sounds a bit fairer than my DDs secondary school who have left the decision to each teacher and if they agree they will have a class vote.

Next year it's Euro 17 women's football championships. I'll take my dd out of school for any matches England are in as it's important to send the message to my dd that women's sport is as important as men's.

This is insane.

If you're a head and you think football is more important than the curriculum you would be wrong then by all means show the match at school, and allow late pick up so they can watch the whole thing.

But I really don't see why the DC have to be allowed to go home to watch.

I would also expect normal lessons to be run alongside for those who aren't interested, - not arts and crafts (which basically means lots of the teachers want to watch too and don't want to have to do their normal lessons).

i am absolutely speechless
If i was parent at a school doing this , i would be complaining to govenors, ofsted and education minister.

Its an appalling double standard and waste of valuable educational time.

Firstly not everyone is interested in football, secondly there is little education to be had from watching matches, and thirdly teachers are paid to teach not sit watching football.

With the plethora of iplayer/catch up/sky etc any child or family who wants to watch can do so in their own time.

Our school have said nothing about it..Though in response to a previous post our Head is female and not somone I imagine to be a football fan ( though I could be wrong)

I would be annoyed simply as the obsession with attendance . I have put a request in this morning for an afternoon absence due to a medical appointment( though it will be authorised) we can no longer have routine dental appointments during school day. I read a post on here about a child expected to be in school with a UTI, I don't see how this is a priority to watch live..If it is important record it..

I recorded the Grand prix and watched It Monday night..Lewis Hamilton is breaking all sorts of records.. I haven't heard that mentioned in school..

I'm "miserable" because I think silly chavvy people shouting at a television, probably drunk, not to mention the "fans" who travel abroad and show us up by behaving like louts in public in cheap tacky shirts with silly painted faces are a national embarrassment? Really? I am perfectly happy thanks, and more to the point, I don't need to behave like an idiot in public to appreciate the things that make me happy like people who "appreciate football" do.

Today 10:40 user1465023742

Don't be ridiculous, you clearly know bugger all about football and are an insufferable snob

You sound like a charmer user