Did you have to shower after PE?

[Quanon]

Question due to a conversation about when this became unacceptable. Was it ever OK? Really? I didn’t ever experience it but DH did, with a teacher enforcing that everyone showered properly. It’s surely not expected now in secondary schools for safeguarding reasons? Our kids certainly don’t.

Were you required to shower after PE at school?

If you could give me an idea of when (decade) and yes or no, it will help our discussion. I wonder if it was more boys than girl?

For us
90s, female, no
90s, male, yes after rugby (teacher watching)

Yes 90s girls school with the teacher fucking glaring, and I mean really staring.

Female, 80s - compulsory showers. Had to walk through in a line, naked, supervised by teacher. Ticked off on list or marked as P if on period. Sent back if not wet enough. So wrong.

Also with fucking knicker checking, did anyone have that in the Brownies? One of the leaders used to insist you took your knickers off for bed and asked to check, she was also a fucking shower watcher. Seriously would any of you be okay with that knicker thing these days because sometimes I wonder if I’m being dramatic.

90s female, no

Our PE teachers weren't actually too bad, considering

One of the leaders used to insist you took your knickers off for bed and asked to check, she was also a fucking shower watche

^

Wtf
Is this fresh hell

No! That's not right!!!

@coxesorangepippin I know! Ugh

Sorry I missed some context, at brownie camp it was.

Yes we did
It was enforced with PE tutor monitoring us going into the shower,
The showers were in one large room, no separation, no privacy just a huge wet room with no door separating it from the changing area. The changing area was one big open room as well.
1978 to 83

once we got into 6th form the teachers stopped hovering over us

Just saw the knicker checking posts.
We had this too.
Our school knickers were burgundy and we used to get checked to make sure we were wearing them.

1996-2001, and we were expected to shower after any lesson where we'd got muddy (so mostly cross country and hockey). It was open showers, so we mostly just stuck our legs and arms in to wash off the mud. Quite a few of us used to use soap and flannel at the sink to wash faces and under our arms as well (before applying half a can of impulse!). It was never supervised by the teacher, but they would check we weren't visibly muddy before we were allowed back to class.

96 I had one shower on my first games lesson. A communal one and every girl had to line up with one teacher at the entrance and another teacher at the exit to make sure we showered properly. The teacher at the entrance took your towel and then the teacher at the exit handed you your towel back and if you weren't fully wet they'd make you walk all the way back round and re shower again. The rest of the time I just made an excuse up as to why I couldn't shower or I'd just twag on the games lesson entirely. A shower in an individual cubical with a lockable door, then yes I would've had a shower, but to me when a lot of teenagers are body conscious. I know I was. Then It is morally wrong to expect them to walk naked into a communal shower.

Yes. Female, high school 90-95. We were watched and had to get naked.

No never

1990-95, Female, yes.
We had indoor and outdoor changing rooms, the outdoor ones were fucking freezing.
We also had gym knickers that had pe shirts tucked into them for indoor PE. Skirts and gym knickers for outdoor, they were hideous.

Also supervised and sent back if not wet enough!!

Yes still gives me anxiety now. 1987 -1992. PE teacher would stand with a clipboard and tick you off as you dropped the towel Also to add we had to wear PE knickers for gym and a tiny skirt for outdoor PE. Surelkym isnt allowed now,

How to put a whole generation off physical activity and feed negative body image alive and kicking in the 1980s!

Convent school from 1982 - 1989. Never showered, never knew any other girl to either. We choked ourselves near to death with spray deodorants and Impulse in the changing room, probably largely contributing to the hole in the ozone layer.
PE teachers both female, one a super cheery nun, the other a dour, no nonsense Scots woman. I don't ever remember either of them being in the changing room while we changed, other than to occasionally stick their head round the door to tell everyone to hurry up. I don't recall myself or any other girl being any less undressed than bra and skirt. I remember putting gym shorts on under my school skirt, then taking the skirt off, as did most other girls.

70s/80s female. Communal grotty showers with cold water and yes, we were made to shower after PE. There were no curtains - just one large shower room with about 10 shower heads in it and open door to changing rooms. Teacher stood in changing rooms shouting at people to hurry up and you knew that she would come into the shower doorway and bellow at you if you took too long.

You were sent back in again if you weren't properly soaked.

I went to secondary school in the 00s. We had showers but they were never used. People actually used them to get changed in so it wasn't as cramped in the changing rooms.
I don't even think our teachers came into the changing rooms unless they were using them as a short cut to get from outside to their office.
I never knew this was a thing, especially with teachers watching. What a sheltered life I have lived!

Female, mid-70s, girls' grammar school. I still remember the total, utter humiliation of showers after PE. And the glee of the games mistress forcing us to go in. Urrgh.

Yes in the 80’s. Only times you were allowed to miss the showers were if you had your period or a verruca. The teacher used to note when you said you had your period and you got told off if you missed more than 1 shower per month. Basically they didn't believe that not all girls were regular. I tried desperately to get a verruca but never did.

Male late 70s ,we were watched and he liked to make sure our hair was wet and we weren't allowed to cover down below...as according to him.we all had one.that just wasn't right.

Middle school (first half of '80s) yes - at least after hockey. Communal shower (single sex, though the school wasn't.) There were about 4 shower heads in an area not much bigger than a single person shower in a house (as I remember it, but I might be misremembering.) We had to get about 10 of us in there together. It was more about mud removal than sweat or anything.

Secondary (second half of '80s) ... not after gymnastics. Outdoor games, I think again mud removal. I can't remember. We used the public swimming pool/sports hall as it was the same site (just used by school in the day time,) and my memory of the showers there are more after swimming club and Mum telling us to get a move on and stop chattering. I think school showers happened in a very perfunctory way when they did happen, because usually we had to get to another lesson.

For reference, I once asked my DP and DB about their experiences.

DF: secondary modern in the 1950s, NE England - never.

DM: convent school, late 50s to mid 60s, NW England - never.

DB - comprehensive, 1980 to 86, NW England - never.

I also went to school in NW England, obviously.

80's , yes , female