THE impending World Cup is posing a serious dilemma for schools across the region - and many are considering opening early to allow eager pupils to watch their heroes.

Faced with the possibility of mass truancy or risking the wrath of parents by devoting school time to watching England, teachers are asking for guidance from education officials.

David Henderson, head of Hummersknott School in Darlington, is considering starting lessons after 10am on England match days so pupils can watch early morning fixtures.

Mr Henderson, who has consulted pupils, parents and staff at the school, said he wants education chiefs to lay down guidelines to schools about watching the event.

He said: "Some parents are very much against starting lessons later because they believe we are putting football before education, but others say they are in favour of it because it is an important event.

"At the end of the day, one of our teachers has worked out that it is only one match which will cut into lesson time."

The school is planning to set up screens to allow some pupils to watch the game, and make up lost lesson time by cutting short their lunch breaks.

Elsewhere, pupils will be up with the rising sun to watch games from Japan.

In Chester-le-Street, Brian Lowes, head of the 226-pupil Ouston Primary, is opening the school's doors at 7.30am to allow parents and children to watch the England-Nigeria match together, on June 12.

He said: "We're making it a community occasion by allowing the families to watch it together. The children will only lose about 15 minutes of teaching time.

"We are saying to the kids that if they want to come in in their shirts with their parents, we'll all watch it together with the flags up.

"The other two group matches take place during half-term but if England progress we'll think about doing it again.''

In Richmond, worries that pupils will learn more about 1966 than 1066 are being addressed by staff at St Francis Xavier School, who intend to use the World Cup as part of their geography lessons.

Rarely can there have been too many occasions when pupils were desperate to get into school two hours early.

But the relaxation of uniform rules and the prospect of bacon butties are expected to have pupils in their seats by 7am for the England v Nigeria match.

Head of geography, Patrick Cook, who has organised the events, said: "We did it for World Cup '98 in France, when England played Tunisia, and it was a success then.

"We are also doing World Cup-themed geography lessons at the school, with there being 32 different countries to look at."

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council said decisions to show matches in school were down to the discretion of the headmasters.

But she said: "We're more than happy to encourage it if it is involving the community, like at Ouston."

Elaine Kay, principal officer for the Northern region of the National Union of Teachers, said watching the World Cup in school would cut down on the amount of truanting on match days.

A spokesman for the Department of Education and Skills would only say: "Arrangements for viewing the World Cup are a matter for individual schools and individual head teachers.