Private school to make children watch World Cup match

[Solo2]

Neither of my sons likes football and one actively hates it. They go to an academically selective school where there is plenty of sport but no over-emphasis on football, although the girls are allowed to play netball and rounders and the boys forced to play football at Games in Winter.

Today, I am shocked to learn they will be compelled to watch the World Cup match on Wednesday afternoon, thus missing lessons. This is a complete surprise and I'm incensed that my hard earned money for two lots of school fees (I'm a single mum with no other financial support and wholly reliant on my self-employed income) is going to be spent on my children watching a football match, especially when they don't even like football and have never watched it or wanted to watch it.

Even if I were a mum of two football loving children, I'd be angry that school time is being used in this way. I suspect that it's really because the staff want to watch the match. I'm even more angry that the girls are probably not going to be compelled to watch it as I absolutely hate sexism.

Has anyone else got a child in a fee-paying school who will be forced to watch the match? Also, how would others feel and should I complain?

I am one of those who has not the slightest interest in a group of overpaid people playing with a round thing on a wide expanse of greenery. I didn't even know there was an important match coming up and actually pride myself on this.

On the other hand, I realise I might be in the minority here and have strongly biased views.

So, if you and your DCs loved football, would you relish paying school fees so they could watch a match at school??

Actually if they had watched England on Saturday we won... which is slightly different from the footie too

I think you are being slightly precious about it all.

An hour of footie is not going to damage their chances of getting a good education.

It is just before the end of term, they have worked hard all year. Let them have the time to kick back and relax. If your DC really don't like footie then they can just sit and read a book/chat with other footie haters.

It's OK. I'm calming down a bit now and think I can tolerate them having watched part of one football match in their lives

Pixieonaleaf, it was the DCs who said the girls wouldn't have to watch it. They're increasingly aware that there's one rule for the boys and another for the girls. Girls aren't compelled to kick a ball around a muddy field in sleet and rain in the winter. Girls have much much nicer cloakrooms. Girls can be very mean to the boys but don't get told off and the boys are ALWAYS blamed.

I picked this school particularly because neither of my sons is a stereotypical macho male, although they're not completely inactive and one loves dancing and both love horse-riding. the school prides itself on accomodating 'geeky' types, creative types as well as sporty types. However, my experience is that there's still an underlying sexism and I think it's coming out in regards to this issue.

I think you're being a bit precious as well..and on a cultural level you might not like it but sport and especially football is a big part of the national culture and it seems a shame that you cant endorse that just because you dont like it (or are snobby about it) - its good for them to have a knowledge of all cultural activities - not just violin lessons etc

I agree with omni

Sorry if I sound too precious about this. I was brought up surrounded by people - men and women - who were not at all interested in football and so never imbibed the 'national culture of football'. As a child, I didn't mind kicking a ball around a field, sometimes but the men and women in my family would never have thought of watching a match on TV or following a team.

So yes, I am biased because it just wasn't in my cultural roots. I have said to my sons that they might enjoy watching the match but one laughed sarcastically (he and his friends have an informal 'anti-football' gang at school anyway) and the other said he'd watch it just to be like his friends but could I please pick him up at the normal time and not make him stay late, like others might want to do, to watch the end of the match.

I've never found it disadvantaged me in any way not to be interested in football nor really seen it as part of my culture at all but I suppose you're right that lots of people think of it as central to UK life. In fact that's evident today with the compulsory World Cup match watching at my sons' school. I'm still quite surprised but perhaps I shouldn't be.

ha, dc state school is "offering " children to stay behind at school to watch (3 till 5pm). Luckely even my dd who is NOT interested in football has decided she wants to stay at school to watch the game (extra 2 hours of free time for me!!!!)

I think I know the school you are referring to. Is it the one which charges high fees and where the headmaster's customary attire is an England shirt with three lions, together with the obligatory Rooney tattoo on the forearm? One match won't make much difference, but your real worries will start if England get through this round, as more forced matches are likely to be on the agenda. Another worry is if Murray does well at Wimbledon, as the heavy summer sporting calendar may disrupt more teaching of the national curriculum.

Yes, Pixieonaleaf, you're right. It'll probably do them no harm to have an experience outside of what they do in the normal home environment. Thirdname, it did cross my mind that had DCs been into football, I'd have had extra time to work but....No claig, don't think the head is that obsessed really...no tatoos!!....different school probably..

Mutt- your 'important match' says it all really. I'd baerly know the World Cup was on if it wasn't for irritatedly flicking through the newspaper sports section to get onto the really interesting stuff and blanking out the radio bits about the match.

I think this really is the first time in my 47 yrs that I've been aware of media hype to such an extent over the World Cup and in other years, it's passed me by unnoticed.

So you can see that now the DCs school is hyping it up, I'm really thrown! It's like for me, "has it come to this that even the school insist on everyone getting excited about what I consider to be a boring occupation?!" That's where I'm coming from, hence my reaction.

The World Cup has in other years passed you by unnoticed? Where do you live? The moon?

Seriously though - it is actually a very good teaching tool -theres geography, languages, maths in the group statistics - try and see it like that