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Original poster

Football being shown in school

179 replies

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 14/06/2021 08:57

DD is thoroughly pissed off that they're going to be made to watch the Scotland match in class this afternoon. I thought it was because it was football (she's not a fan) and possibly because the boys in the class would be louder and lairier than usual (as TBF I know she has got a lot of 'big personalities' in that class). This morning she expressed another thing I hadn't thought of: 'There's no choice so it's forced nationalism, Mum.' On reflection, I think she has a point. On the other hand, it's a big event and I suspect the school thinks there will be a lot of unauthorised absences if they don't let them watch. But if they want them to have the opportunity to see the match, maybe they could send them home early so they can if they choose to - but don't make them all sit through it in school time? How are other schools dealing with it?

OP posts:
Cornwallnewbie · 14/06/2021 09:48

@Babdoc

When children have missed a year of schooling due to the pandemic, and Scottish education is dire and plummeting down the international league tables, what do the SNP offer as a catch up strategy? Wasting two hours of lesson time to watch a stupid football match!
Has the SNP decided that all schools must show the match? I must have missed the announcement.

I’m pretty sure that individual schools and even teachers are making this decision.

Morgan12 · 14/06/2021 09:48

Put this on twitter so I can send it to DHOTYA

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 14/06/2021 09:49

'There's no choice so it's forced nationalism, Mum.'

On the face of it, watching the football seems pretty harmless, but I wonder if there's more of a backstory here that means this is her take on it. Perhaps some of her teachers are 'enthusiastic' nationalists or there's an otherwise anti-UK culture, which sadly is quite believable in the current highly polarised climate. Personally I'll be cheering Scotland on as I will all of the UK teams who have qualified (not cheering on 'anyone but England' as sadly many of my neighbours do in a way that makes me quite uncomfortable frankly).

SteamPudding · 14/06/2021 09:50

I can see OP's point. I wonder what would have happened if it had been Scotland v. England kicking off at 2.00 pm on a school day ....

dementedpixie · 14/06/2021 09:50

@Babdoc

When children have missed a year of schooling due to the pandemic, and Scottish education is dire and plummeting down the international league tables, what do the SNP offer as a catch up strategy? Wasting two hours of lesson time to watch a stupid football match!
Meh my ds would be in PE at that time anyway
TooTiredForToday · 14/06/2021 09:50

I saw someone on Facebook referring to their kid watching the football today and was surprised. I presumed it was just that school. I can't believe it is widespread. What a massive, massive waste of precious school time!

SoMuchForSummerLove · 14/06/2021 09:52

@Babdoc

When children have missed a year of schooling due to the pandemic, and Scottish education is dire and plummeting down the international league tables, what do the SNP offer as a catch up strategy? Wasting two hours of lesson time to watch a stupid football match!
Yeah, we should definitely not encourage an interest and pride in sports, given that we've got a generation of kids who have spent the last 18 months not being able to do their usual activities.

What's wrong with sharing a bit of excitement and inspiration with kids? And you really think this is SNP-mandated? Sure, ok.

The whinging on here is something else sometimes.

Sirzy · 14/06/2021 09:55

This happened when I was in school with some England game, I have no interest in football so just sat and read quite happily. As much as I don’t like it I get it’s a big thing for many people.

WeAllHaveWings · 14/06/2021 09:55

@Babdoc

When children have missed a year of schooling due to the pandemic, and Scottish education is dire and plummeting down the international league tables, what do the SNP offer as a catch up strategy? Wasting two hours of lesson time to watch a stupid football match!
🙄 SNP have nothing to do with schools watching it.
SoMuchForSummerLove · 14/06/2021 09:57

@WeAllHaveWings there's very little you can't make the SNP's fault if you put a bit of thought to it.

Changemusthappen · 14/06/2021 09:59

Personally I wouldn't be happy about this, it's a waste of time. To those posters that think 'this is a big deal to Scotland' need a reality check. Football is not a big deal, it is a sport.

I would be picking up my child early and taking them home!

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 14/06/2021 10:01

@massiveportion Do you know many 14 year olds? I can assure you, they have opinions, strong ones, and some (including this one) can take you by surprise over the cornflakes. Some make you see things from a new perspective and some are very different to their parents' opinions, aren't expressed politely and escalate to door slamming and suchlike.

@Babdoc and @Cornwallnewbie this isn't from the Scottish government, it's a decision made by individual schools. That's why I asked how other (Scottish) schools were handling it. Sorry that that wasn't clear.

OP posts:
Changemusthappen · 14/06/2021 10:01

Somuch - interest and pride in sport only seems to apply to football, are others sports routinely shown in schools in Scotland. Have any women's matches been shown.

I have interest in pride in sports people but don't like football.

This isn't even a final!

murbblurb · 14/06/2021 10:05

Spectator sport is just tv. Not what you go to school for.

SoMuchForSummerLove · 14/06/2021 10:06

So what? Football, like it or not, is by many many many fathoms the most popular sport in the country, and a decent percentage of the kids will want to watch it.

Can none of you even see that it's inspiring for young kids to see people from their own country, who maybe grew up in their home town, have the chance to play on the world stage?

Cornwallnewbie · 14/06/2021 10:12

[quote TheGirlOnTheLanding]@massiveportion Do you know many 14 year olds? I can assure you, they have opinions, strong ones, and some (including this one) can take you by surprise over the cornflakes. Some make you see things from a new perspective and some are very different to their parents' opinions, aren't expressed politely and escalate to door slamming and suchlike.

@Babdoc and @Cornwallnewbie this isn't from the Scottish government, it's a decision made by individual schools. That's why I asked how other (Scottish) schools were handling it. Sorry that that wasn't clear.[/quote]
Yes I didn’t think it was a Scot Gov decision.

SengaMac · 14/06/2021 10:12

Probably the 'forced nationalism' is expected to come from the 'big personalities' in her class.
The school should definitely be providing another option for those who don't want to watch.

Can your DD go to the school library while it's on?
My DD regularly did that at secondary so she could actually work rather than being distracted by the 'big personalities' in her class.

Jahebejrjr · 14/06/2021 10:13

It must be exhausting to be some people. No wonder so many dc are stressed if their parents think they should be studying for their exams instead of watching a football match. I know that even dc who don’t watch football usually often enjoy the shared experience of watching their National team. Let kids have some bloody fun.

DancesWithTortoises · 14/06/2021 10:13

When DSs were at school there was an alternative for the non-football fans. More heavily attended, I might add.

Jahebejrjr · 14/06/2021 10:17

I forget how middle-class mumsnet is and how much they hate football, which they perceive to be for the entertainment of working-class scumbags Grin

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 14/06/2021 10:18

@Jahebejrjr That's the thing though, she doesn't want to: for her it isn't fun. (She doesn't have exams coming up and it's only 2 weeks till the end of term, so I'm really not fussed about them missing learning at this point.)

@SengaMac yes, exactly. I don't know if they'll let them duck out to the library, fingers crossed. I just told her she'd have to thole it if they weren't allowed to do something else, it's only a couple of hours.

OP posts:
BubbleBathLover · 14/06/2021 10:20

The reason it is being put on in individual classes rather than being shown in a larger area is because in Scotland there is currently a limit to how many pupils can be in one area and children are in ‘class bubbles’ to support track and trace.

I’m pretty sure your daughter will be given the opportunity to do other things in class at this time. Would you say the same if she didn’t like what she was learning in RME or Geography etc? I understand that football is not a ‘subject’, but there has clearly been a wide interest from the majority of pupils. It is one day and I am pretty certain it will not have any detriment to her grades. It could be used as an important learning experience that sometimes in life there are things you don’t agree with or don’t want to do but there is an appropriate and respectful way to handle it.

Jahebejrjr · 14/06/2021 10:21

There will be lots of things your dd will have to do in the future which aren’t fun for her. She will have to learn to accept that or her life will be very, very hard.

Iluvfriends · 14/06/2021 10:21

They must be providing an alternative for those that dont like football. Ds school is having a fan zone and school finishes around half time so those who want to stay and watch can, the rest can leave.

Dontstepinthecowpat · 14/06/2021 10:22

@TheGirlOnTheLanding my DC are watching it too despite being very uninterested in football. Our school has gone one step further and they had to wear something to support their team. As they don’t have ‘a team’ they have just gone in their favourite colours.

My DS13 a few weeks ago spoke about picking subjects and asked what modern studies was, I explained he would enjoy it as it’s about politics today and he would get a break from hitler, which is all they seem to study in history. His reply was to say ‘oh well we can learn all about our modern dictator Nicola sturgeon’.

He has mentioned that some of the teachers are pro independence and talk about ‘when we are independent’ rather than if.

Anyway I digress. Just to support that I completely understand that a 14 year old would mention and understand nationalism.

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