Bridget Phillipson warns kids must go to school on Monday even if they stay up until 3am for England's World Cup showdown with Mexico

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 09:26, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 09:26, 3 July 2026 Parents have been warned they must still send children to school on Monday even if they have stayed up to watch the England match. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she did not want to tell families how to handle the 1am kick-off for the crucial World Cup clash with Mexico.  But despite England manager Thomas Tuchel saying mums and dads should 'write an excuse' for school, Ms Phillipson insisted the timing of the last-16 game would not justify playing truant. The comments came after the Government executed a late U-turn to declare that pubs will be allowed to stay open late for the occasion. Keir Starmer announced the rules in England and Wales will be loosened through an emergency law change.  The blanket licence extension until 5am means individual venues do not need to apply for extended hours. Parents have been warned they must still send children to school on Monday even if they have stayed up to watch the England match. Pictured Harry Kane celebrates scoring against DR Congo this week The match against Mexico at the imposing Azteca Stadium kicks off at 1am UK time on Monday morning  However, some pub owners have complained the move is too late to organise staff. Police have also raised concerns they have not been given enough time to 'gear up' for any potential trouble as the country celebrates or commiserates the result. Ms Phillipson, who has a son and a daughter, told the BBC's Newsnight that the World Cup is 'big' in her household. 'Individual families, parents will decide what's right for their children. Personally we struggled a bit even with the 10 o'clock kickoff,' she said.  Asked whether head teachers should show lenience if children do not make it to school the following day, Ms Phillipson said: 'I'll be making sure that my kids get into school on the Monday whatever we decide about watching the football... 'I'm not going to make requests on parents around bedtime, they can decide what's best for their family, but please let's try and get our kids in on Monday too.' Despite No10 pouring cold water on hopes of pubs opening late yesterday morning, Sir Keir said last night the rules would be eased. 'Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to,' he said. 'Pubs staying open until the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.' The Home Office had already relaxed licensing laws ahead of the World Cup due to the erratic kick-off times, but had failed to make any provision for 1am fixtures such as the showdown against Mexico in the co-host's capital. Instead, individual pubs were forced to apply to local councils for a Temporary Event Notice, but many were told they had already missed the deadline following Wednesday's win against DR Congo. Ms Phillipson, who has a son and a daughter, told the BBC's Newsnight that the World Cup is 'big' in her household  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.