Did anyone else who went to primary school in the mid-80s have to do PE in their vest and pants?

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

I was telling my colleagues who are in their twenties about it and they looked at me like this: 🙄

Did anyone else experience this? Or was my school slightly strange?

Yes, in the Infants.

In the 70s, yes, it was completely normal. I think usually if you forgot your PE kit. Not a big deal.

Yes, but in the mid 70s.

When I was Sixth Form (2002-2004) we used to help with PE in the local Primary schools. I was shocked by being presented by a group of 5-6yos in their pants and vests.

My own primary school had worn pe kit (early 90s)

Yes, in infants school, 1981-84, so it went on into mid 80s. Seems so weird looking back!

Yes - 1980’s, everyone, not just if you’d forgotten your kit! Our school had no uniform and no PE kit. It does seem weird now, my DC had endless outfits for different sports, a different kind of sock to lose for every sport…

There was also a fold away wooden climbing frame in the assembly hall, with ropes to climb! I used to like climbing to the top, but imagine that’d be a H and S nightmare now!

Mid 70's was the norm.

Yes. Many, many times.

Mid-late 80s prep school, we had special thick school knickers and a PE top. Our knickers got checked too, under our normal uniform, to see if we had on the regulation ones. It’s bonkers looking back now.

In the 60s our secondary school kit consisted of an airtex shirt and navy knickers 🫣

Only if you forgot your kit and it wasn't really your vest and pants - they had spare gym knickers (big blue short style pants) to go over your knickers and vests if you weren't wearing one. It was still super embarrassing.

I did at Infant School in the 70s. The whole class. We didn't have PE kit.

Yes, I had to. And in senior school (1980’s) we had to wear a sports shirt (Aertex) and pants for gym, unless we were in a gym team and had a leotard.

This still happened during my youngest sister’s (23) Infant school days— up to 2008.

Yes - early 80s, I don’t think there was a PE kit, we just stripped down to vest and pants. The boys were allowed to just wear pants but the girls had to have vests as well - I remember being quite indignant about this as a 6 year old.

Youth have no idea do they !

we did had sandshoes for sport - not rugby boots, tennis shoes and running shoes and and and

My grammar school still had this in the 90s.

In the infants it was knickers, vest and bare feet. In juniors we had to take a t-shirt, shorts and plimsolls. I imagine it was easier for teachers to get the class changed if they only had to do half the job!

Our PE shoes were known as dappers....

Yes although we had big navy pants to put on top of our normal pants. And black daps!

Yes. Worth remembering that the vest and pants were thick, plain and large - covering quite well.

I always thought it wasn't surprising teen girls got put off sport when he had to do it in those hideous giant knickers!

Yes, at secondary school ! We wore gym knickers and a polo top. I remember being so embarrassed. This was in the late 90s, early 2000s

Yes - mid 80s

My DCs school still use the fold away climbing frame and ropes!

In PE kit though 😂

Well they wouldn’t be able to do it these days because I don’t think any of my DGC actually wear a vest.