The United Kingdom’s education secretary has stated that students can watch England’s World Cup match in the early hours of Monday and still attend classes. This statement came after coach Thomas Tuchel had suggested that students should receive an excuse for absence to attend the decisive game.
The recent victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, achieved last Wednesday, guaranteed the English clash against the co-hosts in Mexico City. With the game scheduled for 1am English time, which is equivalent to 9pm in Brasília, the unfavorable time raises concerns about the television audience.
Historically, it was common for schools and companies in England to allow the broadcast of important national team games, especially when they coincided with business hours. However, the start of the match in the early hours of a Monday represents an unprecedented challenge, distinguishing this event from previous situations where permissions were more easily granted and highlighting the uniqueness of the current schedule, which intensifies the debate on school flexibility.
Statement from the Secretary of Education on the night game
Despite the complexity of the match schedule, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, does not consider that watching the match will necessarily prevent children from attending school. She expressed her vision in an interview.
According to the secretary to the Press Association, “It’s a late game, but the children can be at school the next day”, reinforcing the expectation of a normal return to school activities.
When asked about the feasibility of watching the game and going to class, Phillipson responded affirmatively. “I believe so. However, it is up to the parents to decide how they will deal with this, and of course, it depends on the age of the children and how they feel. It is a determination that each family must make”, he stated, delegating the final responsibility to those responsible.
Coach Thomas Tuchel encourages school absence
Previously, German coach Thomas Tuchel had encouraged parents to write an absence excuse to the school. He suggested that children should be allowed to watch the match.
Tuchel argued, adding: “Come on. There’s a lot of school time ahead of us, but the World Cup comes every four years. Let them watch. We have a huge match in four days and we need everyone’s support, especially the children.”
Other authorities differ on school absences
Baroness Jacqui Smith, who serves as Minister for Professional Qualifications, expressed her disagreement with Tuchel’s comments. She warned that young people could miss out on crucial learning by absenting themselves from classes on parental grounds.
In a statement to LBC radio this Thursday, she said: “I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but I will tell you what hurts the most: young people who are left without the essential learning to progress in life and achieve their goals. I completely understand people’s desire to watch the game, including the youngest ones — I will watch it myself.”
She added, saying that “she intends to sleep a little in the afternoon and celebrate the victory the next morning when she arrives at work, naturally with renewed energy”, demonstrating a personal plan to follow the event without missing commitments.
Flexibility proposal for school entry times
On the other hand, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), suggested a practical solution. He advocated implementing a more flexible entry time on Monday morning.
He said: “I think it would be really good if the Secretary of State recognized that this is a significant event in our calendar and allowed a grace period for entry on that Monday morning. These are landmark moments and it would be great if as many young people as possible could attend.”
England were on the brink of an embarrassing World Cup exit when Brian Cipenga, a player from Spain’s second division DR Congo, opened the scoring in the seventh minute. The English were saved by a spectacular comeback in the final moments, with two goals from Harry Kane, securing the challenging encounter at the Estadio Azteca.
