Education Secretary says children can watch England’s one am World Cup match and still attend school | OneFootball

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says children could watch England’s early-hours World Cup match against Mexico and still attend school, after head coach Thomas Tuchel urged parents to excuse absences.

England face the co-hosts in Mexico City at one am BST on Monday, a slot likely to reduce the television audience. Victory over DR Congo on Wednesday booked the tie.

“It’s a late game, but children can be in school the next day,” she told the Press Association. Asked if pupils could both watch and still make it in, she said: “Well, I think they can, yes, but it’s for parents to decide how they manage this, and of course, it depends on the age of your children, how they feel. But this is about decisions for individual families.”

Tuchel had encouraged parents to write an excuse for school and let children watch, arguing the World Cup comes only every four years and calling for youngsters’ support.

“I don’t want to be a killjoy here, but I’ll tell you what the biggest killjoy is – young people who then don’t have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life,” she told LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Thursday.

“I quite understand if people want to watch the match, including young people, I will be. I’ll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I’ll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work, looking obviously as fresh as a daisy.”

Daniel Kebede of the National Education Union suggested a flexible start on Monday morning so as many young people as possible could watch.

England trailed in the seventh minute to DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga, who plays in Spain’s second division, before a late Harry Kane double set up a difficult Azteca Stadium meeting.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com