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.

It isn't exactly inclusive is it? What if your National team is Poland or Ukraine. Can people have time off to watch that?

Very good point Coolfor.
We have a large Polish and Romanian community where we live so am presuming they can do the same.

I think it's a lovely idea! As far as I can see, no one misses out in their plan.

I'm not a football fan, but football is clearly an important part of our culture in Britain, so it's fitting.

Does no-one else's schools do this for anything else? My DC's schools did it quite a few times during the olympics. They recently watched the hockey in the big hall (hockey is quite a big sport in the school for some reason). They watched a couple of (recorded I think due to the time it was on) the England Women's matches last year in the World Cup.

They also have lunchtime tournaments of various sports when there's something on. So just now they've got a football one on. They had a cricket one a while back (my DS hates cricket so I sympathise with the kids who don't like football this time) and the hockey one saw us having a trip to A&E when DS managed, somehow, to trip over his own hockey stick!

Why does there have to be so much snobbery about football? So people who like the sport are 'Sheeple' and 'knuckle dragging fans' as opposed to those who have a different and probably more socially acceptable interest such as ballet or the theatre. It's fucking entertainment. Some people like it, others loathe it. What is so difficult to comprehend about that without slinging the shitty insults around? If you don't like it, don't watch it! Simple.

So people who like the sport are 'Sheeple' and 'knuckle dragging fans'

Please don't extrapolate, no one has said all football fans = knuckle draggers. No one.

I can't speak for other posters but my point was that there are knuckle draggers representing our country abroad, and it only ever seems to be in the name of football. You don't have to look far to see that England and Russia fans have been threatened with their teams being pulled from Euro because of their behaviour, like naughty children. It's a sport which largely breeds hatred. I don't think it's healthy to hold this up to children as something that is so very important they can miss school for - something which they often can't do for a wedding or funeral (you know, an actual important event, not a game). It sends a terrible message and feeds into an already loathsome culture.

You can keep your eye roll and I'll raise you a yawn! There's a whole other thread about hooliganism running (I refuse to call them fans as anyone with a grasp of the history of football hooliganism will understand). You have made it pretty clear you have a hatred for football 'culture'. I personally have a hatred of violence and heavy drinking, but I believe that happens too much in the UK with or without football as an excuse.

Why does there have to be so much snobbery about football?

It's rather the reverse, isn't it? Why is there this special privilege about football which means that normal school rules about attendance get suspended, when it wouldn't apply to virtually any other sport or leisure activity?

Ridiculous. But I'm in a minority who thinks sports are bad for society.

"f you don't like it, don't watch it! Simple."

Really? No, not so simple at all. My dc love Maths and Science. (Sorry for having nerdy kids who have found something they can shine at, after years of being mocked on the sports fields and picked last for teams.) they don't have to watch it, that's true, but they're missing out on something they love. Something that they actually want to do, not just passively watch others doing.

I was responding to the numerous 'but I hate football' responses rather than referring to children's likes and dislikes Life. The op clearly states there are 3 options available which would presumably cater for all, including more 'academic' children. And for the record my 5yo ds would much rather be outside actually playing football than 'passively watching others'. So he won't be watching it either!

Physics revision here tomorrow afternoon. No football will be watched.

I can understand why the Head did it. They're under great pressure to keep up attendance figures. I love football but it seems a bit over the top.

I think Pinkie has raised some very valid points through out this thread. It does feed a much larger issue.

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Rugby, cricket, tennis fans do that too. Remember people jumping up and down on seats screaming at the Olympics? Or is it just football you object to?

I will be watching. We don't jump up and down and yell at the TV.......although my TV, my house - I could if I wanted.

Maybe not assuming all football fans are the same would be a start

I've just discovered DDs school are doing similar. The match will be on a screen in the hall for anyone who wants to watch it, and those that don't will be playing sports on the field. I expect a lot will be riding on the weather.

I've decided I don't mind them doing this. It's a couple of hours, not days.

(DD will be teaching the little kids to play netball apparently)

I think it's a lovely idea! As far as I can see, no one misses out in their plan.

Society misses out if this keeps happening or is happening at most schools - and I know it might not.

No women's football will be shown. The school are teaching the children that men's football is more important than education.

They are subliminally saying men are more important than women.

I don't want wither of these things being taught in schools.

Why is everyone assuming that there will be a lot of pupil absences if schools don't show this match?

I guess that it is mostly primary schools that are doing this. Are school kids that interested in football? In the grand scheme of things it isn't that important a match as it isn't a world cup final.

What have we come to that we have to hype everything up these days?

To throw in another dimension, are people comfortable that if their dc watch the match they're also likely to be exposed to the scenes of violence that have accompanied this tournament? I'm not saying it'll kick off in the stadium, but it's likely they'll re-run news reels from last night in Lille. I know I can't protect 5yo ds from this forever, but I don't really want him to see people behaving like this in the name of football - it makes me very uncomfortable. As I said, thankfully he's more interested in playing it than watching it at the moment anyway.

School is so much more than academic learning. Socialising and culture are very much a part of education, so why are people so upset about this?

little lions I think it would be the ideal place to see anything like that on tv, as teachers would have the opportunity to talk about it and explain how it's ruining the event for everyone, and how it has no place in sport.

Socialising and culture are very much a part of education, so why are people so upset about this?

Because the culture they are being exposed to is misogynistic often racist and homophobic, things that should not be taught i school.

School is so much more than academic learning. Socialising and culture are very much a part of education, so why are people so upset about this?

The same opportunity isn't given to other sports or even women's football.

And it is just a group game, not even a semi final or a final.

Bah, humbug!

Ridiculous.

Ex teacher here and I think people over exaggerate the benefit of 100% attendance.

Sometimes it does no harm to be elsewhere, for a day or whatever.

I was the biggest truant in the history of my school and still aced every exam and came top of my year in every subject. I had a theory I could stay home (no mother) and learn more from the TV, and til I was finally banged to rights, I sort of proved my point.

Now schools are getting positively aggressive about attendance. We got a rather rude text message today about kids who have dr and dental appointments having to be picked up by parents "because of the risk of truancy today". And the school is a sports college.

As for football being racist, homophobic etc - well, what will ever change if we don't get 'decent' kids involved in it? And that in itself is, in any case, a stupid generalisation.

TBH the crap my Y9 kid does at school (one core curriculum subject currently being delivered by a series of bad supplies; other lessons with work sheets and word searches) I'd venture he could learn more from watching a football match and flicking through a copy of 'Nuts' than he does at school.

I'd venture he could learn more from watching a football match and flicking through a copy of 'Nuts' than he does at school.