PE teacher brushes DS's asthma under the carpet.

[Walkies5]

Hi, I have name changed as this does give info about my son away.

He is 12. Year 8. He also has asthma and that is written on his file and his inhaler is in his pocket at all times, something which has been agreed by the school medical person, but gets handed to the teacher for PE or trips.

My son is also a bit overweight, something the asthma nurse has never mentioned (thank God) as DS is fully aware of how he looks and is continuous of his tummy. He is active though - plays tennis. Trains 2 hours 3 nights a week and does rugby on the remaining nights and has a match on Saturday. Sometimes tennis tournaments at weekend too, so he is fit. However, he doesn't enjoy PE at school, he was placed in top set PE, but some kids were mean about his size and became very withdrawn, so he had to move down to bottom set, which has brought his confidence up a lot, he still isn't keen, but he finds it okay.

His school does X country 4 times a year - 2 times in the winter, on the playground and 2 times in the summer on the grass area. DS dreads this, not only does he have to run with the kids who used to pick on him (as its a mixed year group thing) he also does have bad asthma and it plays up on long runs. He normally does come last, maybe due to his weight, who knows? Anyway, he was wheezing, which he knows to then take a puff. As he was at the back, the PE teacher was encouraging him to get to the finish line ( where all the other kids were ) and DS stopped and said he needed to take his inhaler (which was supposed to be with his teacher) and he said no no you'll be fine, you're just out of breath. He said no, he really needs it. The teacher then explained how it was actually left on the PE office desk area. DS said he will go and get it, but the teacher said that he had to finish first. DS walked the last bit, which resulted in those bloody boys giggling. DS went to next lesson and couldn't breathe very well. I had to pick him up and he had a neb at the hospital to sort it out, which rarely needs to happen if he is bloody given his inhaler

Sorry, just needed a bit of a rant!!!

I hope the meeting went well and I'm glad you're following it up. What a terrible thing for the PE teacher to do - reminds me of the PE teacher in the book Mister Monday - maybe the author knew one like that too!

I had a very similar situation with my kids' P.E/ teacher, years ago. He refused to let my eldest son take his inhaler, during a P.E. lesson. Fortunately, my son was ok, but I was worried sick about future P.E. lessons.

I phoned the school and spoke to the teacher involved, his head of department and the headteacher. I demanded to know how how the situation had arisen, and how the problem would be addressed in the future. I suggested that all the P.E. staff should me made to take a course on the dangers of asthma, or even to study some statistics about asthma hospitalisations and deaths. I insisted that my children would not be participating in future lessons until the problems were addressed.

My youngest son now has the same P.E. teacher and the guy checks every asthmatic student at the beginning of every lesson to ensure that their inhalers are carried to the pitch. He also checks that they are all ok throughout the lesson.

This teacher was the second teacher that had been dismissive of asthma as a serious medical condition. It's very worrying that the people we trust to take care of our children's safety quite often have no clue about common, but serious conditions. It makes me wonder what they are taught/not taught at uni.

Just to show how different it could be, it was a PE teacher who, during my first triple lesson at high school suggested I had asthma and told me to the doctor to check it out.

I'd complain about this as high as you can.

YANBU. At the allergy show they had arm bands for inhalers for running/sports. Get him one of those. He needs an inhaler with him at all times.

Another here who regularly used to get sent home with asthma... I missed 3 months of school in yr6 due to asthma and related issues, then come year 7:

PE teacher: you're lazy, you're making it up, you just need to man up and get on with it (re. cross country on a freezing field, when just 12 months prior, going near an open door would mean I'd have an attack)

I'd do cross country, have an attack, get sent home, repeat ad infinitum till the head of PE got hold of this guy and tore him off a strip (outside the changing rooms where we could all hear )

Never forgotten being told I'm lazy and useless, mind. I still hate exercise and sport; if I get picked for the 2017 marathon and finish it, it will be a massive FUCK YOU to the people who told me I'm fat and lazy!!

How did the meeting go, OP?

I'd like to think you had an apology for the teacher's behaviour.

I think there is often a huge misunderstanding of how serious asthma can be, especially if you have never witnessed someone having a severe attack . A lot of people think asthmatics are just feeling a bit out of breath.
At the very least the school needs to retrain its staff on the dangers of asthma and how quickly an attack can become life threatening without medication.
I hope you get this resolved.

Even I who knows very little about asthma knows that you always have the inhaler there ready (clearly named) and that if the person says the need it you give it!!!

Hope the meeting was productive. So on your son's behalf!

Fucking hell op I'm angry on your behalf! Find out what the schools complaints procedure is and follow it. Inform the governors and the LA.

Would a running belt/bumbag type thing be any good for him to wear during pe? I would never trust the pe teacher with him again.

Hi OP - hope things have been spoken about and a policy for your DS's inhaler has been put in place now?

thinking of You Walkies5 and Your Son. ((((((((Hugs))))))))))