England manager Thomas Tuchel has encouraged parents to let their children stay up to watch the World Cup match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Monday, despite Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson insisting children can still attend school the next day.
Emergency Pub Hours Announced
Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Thursday that emergency powers have been enacted to allow pubs to remain open until 5am on Sunday night to accommodate fans wanting to watch the match. Starmer stated: "Football might be coming home, but we're making sure fans don't have to. Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together."
Many pubs in Birmingham have already confirmed they will stay open late, including a lone Wetherspoons in the city.
Tuchel's View on School Attendance
Tuchel made his opinion clear: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch."
Government and Education Secretary Response
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told ITV News: "It's a late game, but children can be in school the next day. 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 and how they feel. But this is about decisions for individual families."
Some schools have decided to open late on Monday, and parents are urged to check if their children's school is among them. The Labour Party government has no official advice on the matter as of yet.
