Letter: Appalled at schools closing for England game
Wednesday 23rd June 2010, 5:59AM BST.
Letter: I am absolutely appalled and disgusted at our local schools’ decision to close early so the children can come home to watch England play on Wednesday.
A letter was sent out, from both our local primary schools, to state that they were to be let out at 2:30pm on Wednesday to be home to watch the England match with the 3pm kick-off.
Now, forgive me if I’m wrong, but aren’t they in school to learn?
My eldest’s school has cancelled all after school clubs and the one she usually has on a Wednesday after school will now be taking place during her lesson time.
A lesson in which she is supposed to be doing her higher level literacy and numeracy work. She is missing out on time spent learning and for what?
What exactly do the children learn from this? How to watch as the adults become lairy?
I understand that is a generalisation but come on.
My child’s education is worth more than that.
The other children haven’t been let home early for other countries playing so why should this one make a difference?
It’s an absolute disgrace and I shall be writing to the local authority that gave it the go-ahead.
Cindy Hayden
Woodside
UK Sport
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
have you tried maybe not being such miserable …..
every child, nah, every person in England should demand the right to see our team exit the work cup today.
Report abuse
Get a life!!
Are you for real?
Do you really think your childs education is going to suffer by finishing 45 minutes early?
It’s once every four years, why shouldn’t the children and teachers be able to watch their national team?
PS I’m finishing work at 2.45, come on England!!
Report abuse
Its half an hour..
Report abuse
Surely this letter is a wind-up! Goodness me.
To coin a well known football phase….
UNBELIEVABLE!
Report abuse
I for one think that they should cancel summer , christmas, easter, bank holidays. oh, lets not forget sports day as well. I for one, would want my as yet un born child to only ever think that there is no room for enjoyment or national pride. learn,work,lean,work i mean, what good is the Egg n spoon race going to serve my child in late life?
P.s. let them go at 13:30, get there faces painted as well.
dont be such a hard line parent, let your child enjoy this day. Its fun!!!
Report abuse
WHERES UR PATRIOTISM! COME ON ENGLAND, IT SHOULD BE ON THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM TO GET BEHIND THE BOYS
Report abuse
They should all have had the whole day off. Then they could make it up in that 6 weeks in the summer when the teachers swan about doing nothing!!!!
Report abuse
You write that letter, I’m sure it will give your local authority a right laugh.
Report abuse
There’s always one miserable, moaning, minnie whinging on about something or nothing!
Actually, abit like me
Report abuse
“The other children haven’t been let home early for other countries playing so why should this one make a difference?”
This match makes a difference because it’s England playing, it’s the schools in England closing early WHY should they close early for other countries?
Report abuse
Seriously…… Do you honestly think your children’s education is going to be affected by them missing 45 mins from a Wednesday afternoon???
So much for national pride…….
I’d understand you moaning if it was all the time but World Cups come round every 4 years.
Instead of wasting your life typing emails moaning about trivial things go out and enjoy yourself, take your children to the park etc, life’s far too short.
Report abuse
For goodness sake, chill out! It’s nearly the end of the summer term anyway. Ever heard of patriotism and national pride? That is what your child can ‘learn’ from leaving school half an hour early and supporting her country!
Report abuse
Who wrapped barbed wire round her tenna lady.
Come on England,….its your last chance
Report abuse
Cindy you really do have a sad life . god i’m glad you where not my mum.
Report abuse
ok look at it the other side, if they did not close the school early would your childs lesson be all normall ? i for one would not think so as all the excitment in the children would disrupt the class ?
Report abuse
What a sad person, football brings the whole of England to a stand still for 90 minutes maybe 5 times every 4 years, most kids are just messing about for the last half an hour of lessons any way.
Report abuse
If you really cared about your childrens welfare and education!! why would you write such a pathetic letter to the papers and print you name. I am sure your children are truely embarressed and i just hope they do not suffer any bullying and nastyness due to your actions.
If my sons school would not have let them finish early i would have kept him off school and phoned him in sick. 45 minute off is not going to make a bit of difference to any childs learning.
What are you doing during the summer holidays sending them to boarding school…GET A LIFE
Report abuse
Its alright for schools to close early more so for the teachers to go and watch the football than the students, but when your child is off school for any reason they make you feel guilty and chastise you, double standards yet again because it suits!
Report abuse
Dear oh dear madam, has this decision affected your own personal schedule? Will you have to cancel that pedicure you had planned and be home early to look after your children?
I am sure the LEA will have a good laugh at your expense, get a grip, there are more important things in life to complain about.
Report abuse
When judged by countless ‘Baker days’ and closures at one flake of snow this is nothing. These days kids seem to spend more time on school trips with little educational benefit, effectively ‘jollies’, so 30 minutes isn’t going to make any difference – at least it’ll give them that realisation that Premiership footballers aren’t the Gods they are billed to be if they perform like the last two games…..
Report abuse
There has to be some balance in life. We don’t want students to be so dry in their learning that it bores them. The national curriculum is broad and doesn’t expect children to be sitting down everyday learning by wrote.
This is our national team and it is good to get the country behind them. Some schools have managed this better than others – for instance taking 5 mins of each lesson to make time for it.
Education is of course important but so is our ability to join together to celebrate, or commiserate, with one another at these great sporting events. As I said true education is much broader than just sitting exams – we want well balanced people coming out of schools.
Report abuse
Once again, I’d like to point out that the poster above known as Jake is not me, the more frequent poster known as Jake.
Report abuse
EE when i were ladd when t’world cup were on {argentina] we use t’ fill up t’ classroom bin wi’ torn up paper and chuck it down t’ 4 story stairwell singin dada dada dada dada dada dada dada dada dada dada da dada daddadada da da da da da da da da da da, eee’ them wort’ days. kids have it too easy these days…..{anyone remeber the tv theme tune to argentina world cup?}
Report abuse
I presume this has to written by someone who is not English or is completely anti English!
My mum came home last night moaning about the same thing and was glad our nephews have to stay in school until 3.30.
Until i explained that its half and hour they would miss in a school day, for which they spend 6 years in primary school does it really make any difference? We are English and should be able to support OUR team. Get a life parents and the Educational committee!
Report abuse
Fantastic – there are Victor Meldrews everywhere.
She won’t be moaning if one of her kids get some sort of motivation from the game to do a bit of exersize and take up football and sport and one day represent the mighty England at something.
If that happens, you stay at work and let them get on with it..
Report abuse
What a miserable and small minded person. I hope your child grows up to have a better grasp of life than you appear to have.
Report abuse
Cindy, contrary to media belief not everyone is interested in football – so I kind of agree with you (but not about missing out on education for 1/2 an hour or so).
Report abuse
For goodness sake get a sense of prespective – how often does this happen? Teachers are not paid for doing any afterschool clubs – they are not contracted to do so and often do it off their own backs. I am sorry Cindy but I agree with other comments you DO sound totally miserable!! Also do you realise that hte children will have worked through either ALL of their break time or PART of their lunchtime so they are leave early. You tell me where they have actually missed any part of their education today – get real and get a life!
Report abuse
If this letter is an intentional wind up then I think it’s done its job – if not, I pitty the writer!
Report abuse
I did have a proper ROFL moment at F. Dibnah’s comment :-)
Report abuse
So . . .now they have squeezed through to the next round will they get another 30/45 mins off for the next match and the one after. . . ???
Report abuse
As a teacher myself,our school didn’t close early. What did we do instead? yes, we sat down and listented to the first half hour of the match on the Radio until the bell at 3.30. it was great, a real sense of togetherness. ok, they missed 30 mins of lessons but gained a rare treat. brilliant. things like this get paid back in the end because they are prepared to work harder when you give them a bit of slack! if i’m honest this is a typical reaction from a parent who simply cannot see the relevance of the event.
Report abuse
get a life you miserable women!! if it worries you this much then lets be honest you must lead such a boring and sheltered life!!!
COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report abuse
Perhaps the author of this letter has been a little reactionary regarding the idea of sport taking priority of education considering the small amount of time lost, but believe it or not, not everyone fervently prays frenzied and zealot like at the alter of the great god Football, even during events like those currently being played out. To some the thought of a group of people kicking a ball, even for the greater glory of the homeland is, frankly, less interesting than watching the grass grow on the pitch being played on. I guess to the majority of people who have so far commented (and probably a far proportion of the British people in general) this may come as a nasty surprise. My statement is not meant to be ‘un-British’ just educational, however I’m sure it will be ridiculed as such, amongst other things….
Report abuse
It was actually an option from the school for you to pick your children up early, the choice was then with the parents and by the amount of parents who picked up their children at 2:30 i think the overall decision was a good one – Stop moaning just because obviously you dont like football and complaining about everything little thing
Report abuse
This has certainly been an intresting topic, with overwhelming support for the schools who offered this option.
No.30 the next match is on Sunday so that makes your comment incorrect. However, if England do progress to the quarter-finals (fingers crossed) then what is the problem if it means another 30/45 minute compromise to education? Or are you another miserable person?
No.33 how is your comment “educational”? it is obviously an anti-football biased comment with no facts or figures for one to be educated! I guess you are a lover of the “six an over” game.
Dear oh dear, a World Cup every fours years with your nation involved…how dare they show it on mainstream TV during the day!
Get a grip and embrace the festival that it is.
Report abuse
Neil S point 30
Research the fixtures before you comment as you will see the following games now fall on a weekend.
Report abuse
To point 34, Graham, it was not “an option” to pick up your children at the school in question. All afterschool clubs were cancelled and there was no choice to leave your children to be collected at the usual time.
Report abuse
No. 35, I would have thought it obvious why my comment was educational. You ask for facts and figures from me to prove my point that not everyone enjoys football, I suggest you talk to more than those in your usual social circle, you’d be surprised. And no I am not a fan of the “six an over” game, my ambivalence to all sport is equal. However my original comment was not about my likes and dislikes, I was attempting to add balance to an unbalanced collection of comments.
Report abuse
Thank you winja ;)
Report abuse
Victor, fair play to you for backing up your point and attempting to add your opinion. It would appear relevant that opinions on this matter are not tolerated unless it is “pro” football. I am, however, confused as to why this letter was added upon the “sports” pages. Surely, the majority of people reading this are going to act as per the majority of comments on here condemning this woman.
Report abuse
No child should be allowed home early from school just to watch a team of over paid goonies play footie. Football in this country is mared and allways will be by the drunkun louts that follow it.
Report abuse
Victor, I reiterate, it was not educational, it was your point of view which was against the majority pro-football comments. It is all conjecture depending upon one’s preference, but this lady went over the top and your attempt to add balance to a pro-football arena wasn’t welcome or balanced due to it being in a minority. My social circle expands outside the realms of football, but friends from all walks of life tend to take an interest in the England football team in the World Cup, but not in the Premiership etc. It’s about being patriotic, being involved in the euphoria of it all and all it’s emotions. That is unless you really detest “a group of people kicking a ball for the greater glory of the homeland”? in which case I suggest you go and sit in a quiet dark room and avoid all football on the TV, just in case it disturbs your sensible, balanced nature and liberal views!
Report abuse
Could there be any balance to such a silly letter from someone who obviously is anti-football.
It is one of the few times this country actually gets together
Report abuse
I don’t suppose it would have been so bad if we had a decent football team and one to be proud of instead of the prima donnas who get paid wads of money fo kicking a ball around and play abyssmally!!
Hopefully they will be letting children off early to cheer on English competitors in the Olympics in 2012, who actually deserve to be watched and cheered on.
;)
Report abuse
If parents have really responsible jobs (unlike teaching apparently)) that means they cannot just take time off work for a group of blokes kicking a ball around a field for incredibly well paid entertainment.
If the schools allowed the game to be watched in school time at school fair enough with the option to opt out of course.
After school clubs are vital to those who cannot fit work aound a flexible agenda.
If the staff felt so strongly about watching the game a bit of unpaid overtime is hardly much to ask bearing in mind the teaching professions hours of work.
Report abuse
eva
Why spoil a good valid point about watching the football in school with the comment about the hours they work! are you from the Andrew Finch school of teacher bashing!!
Hilary
I think england do have a good team, good role models? maybe some are not but in tournaments like this then lets get behind them! The Olympics i think are in August so it will be the school holidays!
This is a worldwide sporting event which involves many countries, so for a few weeks why can’t people just support your home country [if your in it!] and be proud?
Report abuse
I quite agree with Cindy, letting kids out early to watch football could lead them to believe that it is actually important whereas in fact it is totally irrelevant. Now, before all the “INGERLUND” fans castigate me let’s look at a scenario. At some time in the future the police, health service workers, public transport operatives, firemen or some other vital service decide to go on strike for one month. The result would be devastating. Now, what if every professional football player decided to strike for one month, the result would be, well, would anyone other than a fan notice?. If the kids want to watch football later in life, so be it but don’t try to convince them now that it matters, it doesn’t.
Report abuse
Colin, a fair attempt at another point of view. However, if the professional football did decide to strike it wouldn’t be just the fan who suffered. It would be the local traders adjacent to the football grounds, the printers who print the programmes, the staff employed behind the scenes at the clubs, the revenue from the park and rides plus other local authority car parks, the merchandise manufacturers etc etc. So yes, others would notice.
The World Cup or Euro’s are every 4 years, with a 2 year interval between either tournament i.e. WC 2010, Euro 2012 etc.etc. Therefore, if England are lucky enough to qualify then I ask the question “why not support your national side?” when, whether you like it or not, the majority do…. And the isn’t a thing the anti-football brigade can do to stop the ferver, excitement and anticipation.
My mother really dislikes football in general, but even she follows England in these tournaments….. which kind of answers my point of view and that of the majority of the country.
Report abuse
Whether you are pro-football or anti-football, we as a nation have an opportunity to stand together and offer our support to those representing our country at international level. England’s great reputation has been built through the generations by people who believed in the concept of community and saw past themselves to the bigger picture. It is our responsibility to instill in our children, the values taught to us by our parents and grandparents. A school education can only provide your child with knowledge. They look to you, as their mother to instill passion and values in life. Surely the most important lesson a child can learn is to take pride in who they are. If your child is passionate about learning for example, 30/45 minutes out of the school day WILL NOT make any impact to their education.
Report abuse
Football, wimbledon, rugby,derby,golf,close early for all .
Report abuse
Obviously 13 weeks holiday a year for teachers is not enough. They now have to start taking the odd half an hour here and there as well !!!!
Report abuse
Charlie how dare you, we are all aware teachers work until they collapse most days, they are up at 5am work all day , home for just after 7pm, grab a bit of dinner if they have the strength to make it, then mark school work until gone midnight . They deserve this half an hour.
Report abuse
Mr. Observer, thank you for your reply. Would these local traders you mention be the same ones who close their businesses and board up their premises whenever their is a match on?, maybe they would be glad of the respite. Local residents too would not have to go in their gardens and remove litter ( and worse ) after a match. OK, people directly employed by the game would lose out but I was only talking one month so I’m sure they could survive that. My point was that the services I mentioned are VITAL, without them for a month chaos would ensue. Without football for a month nothing would change ipso facto it does not really have a great impact on our lives. I am not a fan (no surprise there then) and I have no problem with people who are, I just wish they would stop trying to convince the world that football is a matter of importance. It is a game played by overpaid, under talented people, if England can only beat Slovenia 1-0 then under talented is an understatement.
Report abuse
“The other children haven’t been let home early for other countries playing so why should this one make a difference?”
South African children have been given the whole month off.
Report abuse
Well, I think this woman had a right to voice her opinion. By the looks of the letter, the lady was just expressing her disgust at the schools decision to move the after school club into the afternoon lesson. That would have resulted in her child losing an entire afternoon of school and not just “45 mins” as stated by some. But there have been quite a few comments now providing a little relief from the utter onslaught this poor woman got given. I doubt when she wrote the letter she intended to get this level of abuse from the “sports” page. Poorly judged by the Shropshire Star to place it in that section, methinks.
Report abuse
A lot of people seem to be blaming the schools for letting the children out early. Where my boys go to school, gave us the option to pick them up early or for them to stay till the end of the school day. A friend of mine works at a school which did not do this and parents were meant to collect them at the end of the normal day. Of course the parents wanted to watch the football so turned up at the school at all different times to collect them and caused complete chaos. So maybe it was better for the children and schools to finish early as at least you know they were all safely home and possibly some children forgotten about and left at school.
Report abuse
[So maybe it was better for the children and schools to finish early as at least you know they were all safely home and possibly some children forgotten about and left at school]
Er no.
Those parents who do not have flexible hours of work or travel long distances to work (a situation our new condem govt are promoting) are then left in a very difficult position.
Report abuse
Please get a life
Report abuse
For all those who have responded to this and brought up Patriotism. Do you get like this when England play cricket or rugby? Or is patriotism just limited to football?
Report abuse
In the light of recent events, maybe – it’s of useful education value to know the feeling of being the loser? (an English person speaks).
They don’t represent me – they represent themselves wearing England shirts and were obviously not bothered about it. Some of you have patriotism above and beyond the skills of the collected bunch of players who are called England.
Report abuse
Observer, regardless of my personal stance on the issue, my point remains; not everyone takes an interest football, league or word cup, fact. The aspect I do concede is that those without a interest in the game do appear in to be in the minority, but that doesn’t invalidate their point of view.
And I am unsurprised you feel my comment was not “welcome” in this rather intolerant “pro-football arena”. Surely everyone has a right to voice their opinion on a given subject, even one as sacred as football, including the author of the above letter. Whether the majority agree with her in the matter is irrelevant.
Report abuse