Coleen and Wayne Rooney have come under fire from MPs for ‘setting a poor precedent’, having permitted their youngest sons to take time off school to join them in the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
The 38-year-old was overwhelmed with emotion as she was surprised by the visit of Kit, eight, and Cass, six, in the camp down under in episodes aired on the ITV show last week.
Loving mum Coleen was visibly moved to tears during the family reunion. However, the stunt has prompted criticism from various quarters, including politicians, following revelations that the boys were given two weeks off school.
This development as reported by the Manchester Evening News follows Coleen’s prior statement that her sons would need to carry their schoolwork to Australia should they come over.
According to the Mirror, the boys travelled to Brisbane over two weeks ago with her parents, Colette and Tony, before making an unexpected appearance in the jungle and receiving a guided tour by Coleen post-reunion. Although the sentimental scenes touched many viewers, education specialists were not amused.
Shadow education minister Neil O’Brien expressed outrage on Twitter, at the Rooneys allowing their children to miss important school time. He lambasted: “Famous people setting a bad example is the absolute last thing we need right now.”
He argued that celebrity actions like these could worsen the situation, stating: “If people see them taking their children out of school, then that makes matters worse. If a whole bunch of children take a couple of weeks off school, it makes life difficult for the teacher to help those kids catch up’.”
Mr O’Brien expressed concern over the impact of holidays on education, stating: “We are pressing ministers to get a grip on the school attendance crisis. A child who is taken out of school for a two-week holiday every year, and is absent for the average number of sick days, will have missed the equivalent of a full year of school by the time they reach 16.”
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Dr Helen Wright, former president of the Girls’ Schools Association and an international education consultant, weighed in on the debate: “I am a believer in the importance of experiential learning but I would rather see schools incorporating this in their curricula than parents taking their children out of school as the Rooneys appear to have done. It runs the danger of sending the message to other parents that school is not important.”
Labour MP Alex Sobel also commented on the issue, saying: “There can be no exemptions for the rich and famous.” Coleen Rooney had previously spoken about her decision regarding her children’s education.
She explained her stance: “My two younger ones are coming over. The two older ones decided they would stay at home to continue with school and football. I think I said when you come you’ll have to bring your work with you, so they quickly changed their minds.”
Under the current national framework, parents and guardians must obtain permission from the head teacher for a child’s holiday during term time. Without the head teacher’s consent, the absence is recorded as unauthorised, potentially leading to fines.
However, private schools are not bound by the same regulations and parents who choose to take their child out of school during term time do not face penalties or legal proceedings. Coleen’s representatives have been approached for a response.
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