to think DD shoudld be able to wear glasses for sports?

[theaandrea]

DD is 8. She love sports and we play tennis & badminton togethr. However, she started a new school recently and has been told she must take off her glasses forr sports. DD is vv short signthed amd has been wearing glasses since 5yrs old. She cannot see enough to play sports withiut them and is too young for contact lenses.

Dd's PE teacher insists she cannot wear glasses to PE class but also that she must not be excused from class. I try suggesting DD and me play sport together instead of PE class but PE class is required for the curriculum.

I want to talk with head teacher about DD being able to wear glasses because she really can't see enough to hit the ball etc without them and is getting very frustrated in PE lessons, making her lose her interest in sport. I think its ridiculous a teacher can ban a child from using something as essential as glasses!

AIBU?

It's ridiculous. She can't wear them but she can't be excused from class? What's she supposed to do- sit there.
This is stupid and unless they're playing something where she is likely to get hit in the face, her teacher has no reasonable grounds for this.
Talk to the head, or ask the school when they plan to buy her sports glasses!

I'd talk to the HT straightaway - aren't there special glasses you can use for sports which are a bit safer wrt to breaking/falling off etc?

www.uksportseyewear.co.uk/section.php/25/1/childrens-goggles-sunglasses

My DS (15) plays for a football team where one of the defenders wears glasses (held on with a band). I doubt any sport your DD is taking part in is a physical as football played by a bunch of 15 year old boys.

As a glasses wearer, I know that not being able to see whilst you're playing sport is hideous and it's the first step to putting your DD off sport altogether.

There is no law that states a child cannot partake of pe lessons whilst wearing glasses. If the child needs glasses there is bugger all the school can do about it. They cannot prevent her from attending, nor can they insist she doesn't wear them.

The short answer is that they can't ban her from wearing them. They must risk asses and adjust their practice accordingly to enable her to take part.

It might be something very simple like buying a sports band strap for them etc

That is utterly ridiculous. If I tried to play sport without my glasses or lenses there is a significant chance that I would fall flat on my face (several times) and cause myself an injury.

Ridiculous! DS wears glasses playing football (he's 6). I've just bought him toughen lenses for the purposes.

Your dd needs to have her glasses on. Please speak to the HT about it.

not only is it ridiculous, it is compromising your dds safety! my youngest is a glasses wearer with strong +9 perscription. he plays footie, rugby, tennis, multi sports for the school IN HIS GLASSES. I am delighted to report that no lives have been lost.

that being said I was getting his specs repaired so often thT I have just ordered special sports goggles...pricey but worth it for a sporty type

There is nothing on the HSE site that states that this is a requirement.

dd wears hers for all sports and has prescription goggles for swimming. I know an 8 year old that has contact lenses so its not unheard of for that age.

I think it would be safer if she had special glasses made? Are there glasses that are a but like goggles that wont break easily if a ball hits her?I personally use contacts and don't feel comfortable using glasses during sports.

I was told this with my daughter to! She is also 8 and has v poor eyesight without glasses. First they said no glasses,then told me I had to buy prescription sports goggles(which I cannot afford and she's in primary to will quickly need diff prescription ect) then after I went in and spoke to head teacher we settled on a band to hold them in place. My daugher found it quite embarrassing as she was the only child in school wearing glasses at the time

Isn't this disability discrimination? If you reposted in special needs you may get more specific information to help with your case.

I wear glasses for sports, and did so whilst at school. I would complain to the head teacher. Had I been a boy I probably wouldn't have chosen to play rugby in glasses but ball games are fine. This PE teacher is being silly and needs to be corrected asap

My dd got contacts aged 10 and struggled. She didn't have the patience, and we left it till she was 11.5 as she was desperate to try again, and is now a pro at age 19 and can take them in and out without looking. My optician said about ten was the age he would think its worth a try.

I think the school are being ridiculous- I'm also wondering what her lenses are made of? Wouldn't be surprised if they weren't plastic.

I'm so angry on behalf of your dd. I'm very short sighted, glasses since 5 and the thought of being made to take them off makes me feel vulnerable. Without them I can't see. It's embarrassing. I used to feel like crying when people would ask to try them on them laugh at how bad things looked.

I can't even tell if I'm lookin someone in the eye or not when I'm telling to them without my glasses on.

That's ridiculous, is this a state school?
If so, check with the school policy on PE, then check the LEA guidelines, I'd be astounded if this was anything other than the decree of one teacher, and an obsolete school policy.
Her 'glasses' are presumably plastic lenses? She can wear a sports band to stop them falling off.
I'm very short-sighted, this policy was in place when I was at school in the 70s. It was hazardous for me and for others around me.

Which county or LEA are you in?

Its illegal for students to participate in some sports (rugby for example) whilst wearing glasses.

My eldest is very short sighted , he wouldn't be able to see without them. He is excused from it.

For a non-contact sport, I'd imagine rules might be a bit different? Although a tennis ball on glass might be dangerous? I'd talk to the teacher again.

Do you know what her prescription is?

I would second the advice on here about getting lenses for sports, they are often polycarbonate which are impact resistant, and also a headband/strap to stop them falling off.

If her teacher won't back down then your optician should be more than willing to write a note on dd's behalf - I work in optics and we would just annotate your dd's prescription with ''spectacles to be worn at all times, including sports''

HTH

I am extremely short sighted and if I had to try and walk, let alone play a sport without them it would be dangerous. Ridiculous rule, if she can't wear them then she should be excused. Go and see the head, poor dd, I feel very vulnerable without mine on.

I suspect they've had a parent trying to sue them for cost of repair to glasses.

For squash you can get sort of goggles that fit over the glasses I think.

Absolute nonsense.

Are they glass or plastic? My youngest has shocking eyesight (-11, -13) and is very sporty - even as an adult. But absolutely has to wear glasses as is nearly blind (even for swimming)! It has never ever been an issue.

Are the lenses plastic or glass? DC wore plastic as glass was too heavy anyway.

absolute bollocks. I would kick off big time.

It's very likely that they are plastic lenses - glass lenses are extremely rare these days and would certainly not be prescribed for children.