England manager Thomas Tuchel has suggested that parents should "write an excuse for school" to allow their children to stay up and watch England's World Cup match against Mexico, which is scheduled to kick off at 1 a.m. British Summer Time on Monday.
Tuchel, speaking after England's victory over DR Congo, stated, "There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch." The match is a crucial round of 16 clash and is expected to conclude around 4 a.m. if it goes to penalties.
However, the late kickoff time has raised concerns among some parents and teachers about the impact on children's schooling. Historically, some schools have canceled lessons to allow students to watch important knockout stage games, but the inconvenient timing of this particular match presents logistical challenges.
The decision for parents weighs whether to allow children to stay up late, potentially leading to a disrupted school day, or to enforce an early bedtime, causing them to miss a potentially pivotal game. The issue has led to divided opinions among parents.
One parent from Epping, Essex, indicated that their two young children would struggle to stay awake for the game, noting they had difficulty with a 9 p.m. kickoff for a previous match. Another parent expressed that their children would watch the match live but would still be expected to attend school the following morning, comparing it to incidents where children were woken by thunderstorms and were able to manage school the next day.
A third parent supported Tuchel's stance, advocating for all pupils to have the Monday off school. The situation highlights the perennial conflict between the excitement of major sporting events and the demands of the academic schedule.