Bridget Phillipson responds to Thomas Tuchel’s plea to parents over England’s late-night World Cup match
The Education Secretary has weighed in on the debate around schoolchildren watching England’s World Cup match against Mexico in the early hours of the morning, suggesting pupils will still be able to attend classes despite the 1am kick-off.
It comes after head coach Thomas Tuchel encouraged parents to provide “an excuse for school” to allow children to witness the important match.
England’s victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday secured their place against the home team in Mexico City. The unusual 01:00 BST start time for Monday’s fixtures is expected to significantly impact potential television viewers.
While it is common practice for schools and workplaces to stage matches in England during major tournaments that coincide with working hours, this pre-dawn kick-off poses a unique challenge.
But Education Minister Bridget Phillipson believes watching the match does not require missing school.
Speaking to the Press Association he said: “It’s a late game but the kids can go to school the next day.” Asked if children could watch the game at the same time, he added: “Yes, I think they can, yes, but it’s up to the parents to decide how they manage that and of course it depends on the age of your children and how they feel. But it’s about decisions for individual families.”
In response, German coach Tuchel strongly encouraged parents to prioritize sports activities. He advised: “Make an excuse for school and let them watch football.”
He also argued: “Come on. There are a lot of schools to go to, but the World Cup is held every four years. Let them watch. It will be a huge match in four days and we need everyone’s support, especially the children.”
Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith offered a more nuanced view, warning of the potential impact on learning.
Speaking on LBC’s Nick Ferrari at breakfast, he said: “I don’t want to be a spoilsport here, but I’ll tell you what the biggest spoilsport is – young people who haven’t had the learning to go on and do what they need to do in life.”
He also acknowledged his own viewing plans: “I totally understand if people, including young people, want to watch the game. I’ll take a little disco nap in the afternoon and celebrate our victory looking fresh as a daisy when I go to work the next morning.”
Meanwhile, National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede suggested a more flexible approach for Monday morning.
He commented: “I think it would be very good if the Secretary of State would realize that this is an important event on our calendar and allow him a flexible start on that Monday morning. These are very important events in our calendar and it would be good if as many young people as possible could do this.”
The upcoming match follows a dramatic development for England, who narrowly avoided an embarrassing exit from the World Cup after falling behind to DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga.
Harry Kane’s eye-catching late double secured their progress, opening up a crunch encounter at the Azteca Stadium and intensifying the debate on how young fans can best support their team.
