Former Socceroos player Robbie Slater has publicly criticized teachers across Australia for reportedly refusing to allow students to watch the national team's World Cup match against Paraguay. Slater expressed his "disgust" in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating that he had received messages from parents whose children were being denied the opportunity to view the game.
"I am receiving messages saying that certain schools won’t show the game because the teachers aren’t into soccer!," Slater wrote on the social media platform. He added, "Disgraceful it’s Australia! It’s not about which code you support!"
The match, which is the Socceroos' final group stage game of the tournament, is being played in San Francisco. Australia, managed by Tony Popovic, needs at least a draw against Paraguay to secure a guaranteed spot in the knockout stages. A loss could still see them advance if other results favor them, as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Slater, who played 28 matches for the Socceroos between the late 1980s and 1990s and also had a career in the English Premier League, believes the decision by some educators is misguided. He suggested that the sentiment echoed by some fans online, likening the situation to not showing an Olympic swimming final because of a lack of interest in swimming, is appropriate.
Another social media user referenced former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke's famous quote, stating, "Any boss or teacher who doesn’t let their employees or students watch the @Socceroos today is a bum." Some educators, however, are reportedly facilitating the viewing, with one user sharing, "My wife is a teacher, and they have the big projector in the hall showing the game."