Or is this PE teacher unreasonable about periods

[BigSandyBalls2015]

DD(15) is doing GCSE PE. Part of this involves 'personal survival' which takes place in local swimming pool.

The school obv need to book this, can't just turn up, but DD queried what would happen if some of the girls had their period at the time. PE teacher (female) replied that they'd obviously have to use a tampon, they can't miss it, can't arrange another day. A few girls told her they didn't use/get on with tampons and she got annoyed saying they'd have to get on with it on the day as no other option.

Fuck off Trifle - you can't fucking stop poking can you? you obviously do think it's obvious- tell everyone that there's an issue and then a CAMHS referral.

I hope you have enjoyed yourself this evening - next time you want to wind someone up with your faux innocence, perhaps you can find someone else to do it to?

I think that the responses here are far more worrying that the teacher's position. I guess she's trying to avoid too many unnecessary no shows for the examination and knows that rescheduling for certain girls will mean liaising with the examination board; if they allow it at all. Perhaps the exam board needs to set 2 examination dates so as female students can pick the most appropriate (not helpful for those who are very irregular but certainly gives everyone a better chance of being able to participate).
Those saying that periods shouldn't interfere with life might not understand what periods are like for some. I'm a grown woman, but I'm not going swimming on day 1 or 2 of my period. The highest absorbancy tampon worn with a night time pad just about gets me through my commute, I'm not getting into a pool on those days no matter what I've inserted inside myself! My dcousin says her periods last 3 days and she's never bled through a high absorbancy tampon. She'd probably be able to trust a tampon and go swimming even on her heaviest day. I wouldn't.
Periods definitely effect my life, when I'm soaking through tampons and towels and getting stuck in a traffic jam worrying about bleeding through, or deciding that I won't be wearing my white skirt, or that I won't be having sex tonight, that's definitely my period effecting my life. Mine stops me from doing certain things. If there are women out there who barely notice theirs has come and gone, kudos, but there are lots of us who aren't so fortunate and send at least a couple of days a month never far from a loo dealing with huge blood clots, washing sheets and trying to get blood out of our knickers. It can't just be me who sometimes thinks it's like a scene from a horror movie in my bathroom sometimes.
I've always found inserting tampons to be easy, but that doesn't mean that I think every woman should and I don't think that anyone should feel that they must insert something inside themself and without tmi I could insert a super plus extra get in my swimsuit and not make it through an examination without blood running down my inside thigh.

No trifle
If you havent understood so far I dont believe you have the capacity to reach enlightenment.
It might be possible, but given your self asserted limitations I don't believe that you can be helped to understand without making an unreasonable effort.

And report away if you like - at least you know you can wind up someone who is clearly in a fucking state.

Agree with trifles last post

Wait a minute not the last post

The one at 21:02

Rufus - yeah, things probably have changed. I totally acknowledge that but I still think if we want women to be interested in sport we have to find better solutions than just 'deal with it'.

My vagina now swallows water when I swim, I'd be concerned that a tampon couldn't cope with the volume of liquid

LiviaDrusillaAugusta: I am genuinely sorry if I have upset you.

Trifle You are a teacher aren't you? I hope to God you don't teach teens.

Bettersleepoutdoors: So you have no reasonable solution? It shouldn't require 'enlightenment' if it's that obvious.

July is a no-no. It's too late.

May, maybe.

But - serious question - would you expect second dates for all GCSEs to allow for menstrual incapacitation?

What's actually wrong with the current special consideration system?

Livia, please don't let this thread upset you to this extent (easier said than done I know because it upsets me at a lot of the stuff said here and the clear lack of understanding from other posters)
Many of us agree with everything that you're saying and understand and care about what you have gone through. The ones that don't are in the minority.
If I knew how to give flowers I'd send you a bunch (but as well has having PMT I'm shit with mumsnet and don't know how to get the images) x

"If there are 40-50 sports to chose from, then presumably it's quite hard to find space for all of the assessments for them all - but it is miraculously managed."

No, not a miracle as it's pretty rare for a school, to offer more than a dozen, and perhaps moderate with relevant governing bodies a handful more. But that pretty much fills up June. Especially if there's a high number of candidates in some sports and more than one day is needed even for a single sitting.

BlankTVscreen: But how does that account for different girls having different periods? School timetables have to be set in advance. You can't have a different assessment time based on each student's menstrual cycle starting at a particular time of the month for each girl with a follow up two weeks later when you need to BOOK A SWINMING POOL to do the assessment! Staff will not be available, the girls will not be available, the pool will not be available. It is quite simply a ridiculous idea.

Fuck me Trifle you are like a dog with a bone!

Thanks cat - PMT is seriously shit x

The reasonable solution has been spelled out quite clearly.
I dont appreciate the antagonistic and obtuse nature of your remarks.

Sorry if it seems I'm about to go off the subject but I'm going to (for once and for all) try and practice how to send flowers and use the smileys list. Sorry if I get it wrong!

Livia

Not to mention that many students aren't going to want to share details of their menstrual cycles with SMT, who would be heavily involved with a programme of this scale. More issues than I can list with this plan.

I did it!!

LiviaDrusillaAugusta: Again, sorry if I have upset you.

Bettersleepoutdoors: It isn't obtuse to point out why something won't work. This won't work.

Now i feel like I'm a fully fledged MN user and will probably now get a bit trigger happy with the brews, flowers, stars and cake

I HAVE A SOLUTION!!!!

DONT HAVE SWIMMING AS A CORE PART OF THE GCSE

There you go sorted it

Everyone can have a look at other threads now...the eu one are particularly spicy

You can thank me later

livia