To think the school have got this very wrong?

[anerki101]

Had an email from my child's school this week regarding the World Cup. The council have decided that they want to celebrate the World Cup so will be allowing the first game to be shown in school for every one to watch. They added that because of the human rights concerns with the host nation they would ask the kids to wear their football kits or team colours and bring in a donation for amnesty International.

AIBU to think this is wrong? If they are concerned about the human rights issues then surely boycotting the World Cup and NOT showing the game is the the best thing to do? Very happy to donate to amnesty but I still think allowing the game to be shown is a mistake.

I say this as a football fan who looks forward and watches the world Cup but won't be this time.

You mean you do what is convenient for you!

I don't own an iPhone and I don't fly and I don't shop at Primark (and I've never darkened the Shard's doors) - so I am I allowed to enjoy watching this year's World Cup then? 🙄

The last time an England match clashed with school time was the QF against Brazil in 2002. The last time a group game clashed with school times was the first match of 1998 against Tunisia. Both those matches were shown at the schools I was attending at the time (primary in 98, secondary in 02), so although I can't speak for others, it's not a new or unusual thing in my experience.

This. Bet they didn’t show events from the Olympics or Commonwealth Games.

I’d prefer my child to get 90 minutes of education from a teacher rather than overpaid sportsmen.

I wonder whether they will be doing the same for the Women's World Cup next year...

I used to donate monthly to Amensty International. Since they stopped campaigning for the safety and dignity of women, I have stopped donating.

January 2016 Amnesty International had this to say:

Women also reported having to use the same bathroom and shower facilities as men. One woman told Amnesty that in a reception centre in Germany some refugee men would watch women as they went to the bathroom. Some women took extreme measures such as not eating or drinking to avoid having to go to the toilet where they felt unsafe.

Tirana Hassan added:
“If this humanitarian crisis was unfolding anywhere else in the world we would expect immediate practical steps to be taken to protect groups most at risk of abuse, such as women travelling alone and female-headed families.

“At a minimum, this would include setting up single sex, well-lit toilet facilities and separate safe sleeping areas. These women and their children have fled some of the world’s most dangerous areas and it is shameful that they are still at risk on European soil.

"More steps need to be taken to ensure that refugee women, especially those most at risk, are identified and special processes and services are put in place to ensure that their basic rights, safety and security are protected”

In March 2020 they had a complete turnaround: (where they say gender, they mean sex)

Your anatomy doesn't determine your gender identity and neither does the “gender binary”.

What is the gender binary? The gender binary is the idea that there are only two genders – male and female.

In reality, gender is much more like a spectrum – it isn’t set in stone and some people have fluid or fluctuating gender identities.

Going to a gendered bathroom or changing room can be difficult for trans people, especially when they are made to feel like they don’t belong.

If you don’t agree don’t give permission for them to watch the match, send him to school in his uniform and don’t send in a donation. Easy. Conscience is clear.

Forced political donations demanded by schools are wrong! What planet are these people on?

Not really sure it is 'political' - are you personally in favour of enforced labour, torture and political imprisonment??

Sorry but I totally agree with this. Do they stop lessons for WImbledon? What about test matches? If schools stop doing education for "worthy events" - and I don't think very much, and certainly no sporting event, qualifies as a worthy event - then children would learn nothing at school. The only football in school should be that which takes place on the fields and is physical exercise.

We allowed our Primary children to watch the football match between Brazil and England in the 2002 world cup. Since then the World cup matches have not been during the school day so it's never been an issue. It wasn't compulsory for them to watch. They could do other things in the classrooms- footie in the hall.

I really can't see a problem with it. The curriculum isn't all academic. If England were to win the world cup it would be a huge national occasion. Just because some of you aren't interested in football does not mean that anyone shouldn't be. The academic curriculum stops for all sorts- religious events, royal weddings, parties and festivals, pantomimes, charity raising events, etc. why not a significant football match?

They used to show Wimbledon when I was at school. That was along time ago and I don't like tennis but I think the "big" British player was a woman called Christine something. As you can probably tell I just zoned out.

And just because some teachers are into football doesn't mean they should force it on the kids

England playing a first stage match is not a significant event

My daughter has never watched any match at school, and they have been in through other big events.
But they are watching Wales first match on Friday.
Same issues here.
I do not agree with it, it is not even the final or semifinal, just the first match. I recognise for Wales is the first match, but still... there will be more significant ones. Are they going to watch them all?

Not really sure it is 'political' - are you personally in favour of enforced labour, torture and political imprisonment??

It IS political. It's not the school's place to tell kids to boycott a country

My Ds's would have been bored with this idea. They had no interest in football at all. What a waste of time for the kids who aren't interested.

Before we even get into the rights/wrongs of Quatar, other than as part of the PE curriculum and associated clubs football has no place at school. People should indulge their hobbies and interests in their own time. As for the kids will bunk off argument, well I'm astounded. There are penalties for truancy and these should be used like they have been for a medical appointment or family funeral in some cases. I'd get short shrift if I said DS was going to be away to attend a raspberry jam or manga drawing workshop but at some schools it seems that if his hobby is watching football he would get to either be off or even do it in school, no questions asked. Utterly pathetic and I'm glad his school is not taking part in this nonsense, it's business as usual.

Ha exactly.

I agree about first satge- but if they were in the final it would be different.

School should not be showing the football regardless of where the World Cup is held. Lots of kids aren't remotely interested in football. If you stop lessons to watch football, then why not for other sporting events? It's ridiculous! Football fans seem to think football is somehow more important than other sports and indeed than other things, and that everyone should be interested. Well lots of people are not.

To be honest I wouldn't read too much into the school 'supporting' where the world cup id being held.

I'd be more concerned that a large proportion of the children are being taken out of lessons to watch a match that has little or no interest to them.

Children will become bored, fidgety and disruptive. My daughter would hate sitting on a cold hard school hall floor for 2 hours watching football !

I don't think the kids/parents will say they are off to watch the football match, the schools will know that is why many of them are off but they won't know that Billy's cold is genuine but Bobby just wanted to watch the football.

My GS has a regular hospital appointment every 4 to 6 weeks, the school have never questioned it, never asked for proof of where he is. If a child has a good attendance record I don't think they are going to be in trouble for one day.

I can't understand why people would be bothered to get their knickers in a twist here. I abhor football. The WC should never have been in Quatar. As most primary school teachers are women, I'd imagine there's a substantial number of those who have no interest in watching the match.

However, watching 90 minutes of football in primary is hardly going to affect their 14 years in education. As for teaching children this age all about abuses of human rights - I don't see it as necessary. Time enough for that to develop as they get older.

For the record - 25, 23 and 19, all very opinionated and passionate about predjudice, unfairness, discrimination, human rights, the rights of minority communities - and they weren't discussing these things when they were primary aged.

There's a hell of a lot more children who will be keen to watch a World Cup Final match that their home team might win than will want to watch other sporting events like Olympic Javelin throwing etc. That's why football is seen as more significant- it's much more popular.

If England get to the final even people who aren't normally interested in football will want to watch. Just because not EVERYONE does doesn't mean a lot don't.

It's wrong to assume all kids like football.

This. It would have bored me to tears - still does. I don't see the point of showing it in schools, except for the teachers having an excuse to watch.

The suggested donation to AI would piss me off for the reasons stated by PP.