AIBU to be cross about this (P.E. at school)

[UndertheCedartree]

Like many areas we are experiencing heavy down pours. And like many schools the DC wear their P.E kit to school and don't change.

On Friday there had been heavy rain the night before and rain showers on and off all day. My DD's class were expected to go for a run over muddy and slippery ground and play basketball in the pouring rain. The running club was cancelled but this went ahead. Considering they then had to wear their kit for the last hour of school, there was then a information meeting so they sat in wet kit for another 45 minutes and then however long their journey home is, would you think this reasonable? I personally, don't.

However, my DD has Long Covid which has all been documented in an Education plan. She has only just been able to start coming to school full time again and missed so much last year. And they got her soaked through (due to weak muscles she slipped multiple times in the mud as well as the pouring rain). She's had a respiratory illness all weekend and soldiered into school this morning for her Mock 11+ and then got sent home. I'm really cross. Where's the common sense? I emailed the school regarding this.

When I went to pick my DD up the P.E teacher had passed on a message asking me to detail all the reasons she can't do P.E in the rain (it was all in the email plus all previous meetings/correspondence re Long Covid) and wondering if she had a coat. Well, yes of course she does, but they obviously don't take them to P.E! It hardly answers why they were getting a child with Long Covid to get soaked through with no opportunity to change. I honestly feel like I have no trust in this teacher to do the right thing for the welfare of the children and especially my own DC. I'm so upset that she's missing school again due to this incident.

My immediate reaction is to email the principal and say my DD is not doing P.E. until this is properly resolved. Meaning I know everything is documented properly about her condition and what would happen in any given situation as it seems I can't rely on the P.E. teacher's common sense.

What would you do?

They diagnose it by symptoms. She was then referred to the paediatrician that she's under. I think our GP said Covid symptoms for longer that 3 months=Long Covid. Your doctor is being disingenuous saying there is no test - there's no test for many things but they can still be diagnosed.

@daisyjgrey No. I hated PE at school. I have dyspraxia and I hated team sports of any kind and I fell over a lot. PE was just ritual humiliation for me. I just don't really think it's the end of the world for a child to get rained on, and I'm not convinced that getting rained on is any different for a child with Long Covid than it is for another child. It's mildly uncomfortable to sit in damp clothes, but not harmful.

As I said - if the OP's daughter is struggling with PE in general because of fatigue or poor muscle tone from Long Covid, then perhaps she needs to be excused from PE generally. Maybe her doctor could advise exercise that's more low-impact or strength-building to do at home for now, if school PE is still too much for her to the extent that she's constantly falling over due to muscle weakness.

But the rain thing alone just doesn't feel like a big deal to me at all. It's just rain. Appreciate others may feel differently, but personally I just don't think the rain itself has any bearing on the OP's daughter's health issues or struggles with PE.

I did but I stupidly thought some common sense would be used. The before/after school sports clubs were cancelled due to the rain. The DC do not have time to change. However, I do not want my DD being soaked for an hour. Why? Because it can lead to respiratory illness due to her Long Covid. Because she then misses school.

I am fully aware she is not made from sugar. We walk to and from school everyday even when raining (while most parents are driving their DC up to the gate and lifting them over the barrier so that rain will barely touch their heads!), but we wear waterproofs. I know being outside is good for us. We spend lots of time outdoors when we can, indeed we would have done this weekend except we were at home with my ill DD. Honestly, how has it benefited her to spend an hour outside in the rain and now can't play outside, can't go to school all because a P.E teacher couldn't just move the class inside? Or at least just leave my DD inside!

I think what the doctor meant was no definite test for long Covid but yes I do have all the signs of long Covid and was just interested incase there was something possible I didn't know about. Thank you and I hope your daughter gets well soon

@carefullycourageous The reason I responded to your comment is because my entire career is based around making sure children enjoy physical activity. Hence, I think that asking children to run around in the freezing cold/mud/rain is not a way to help them enjoy PE, physical activity or sport. I want them to live healthy, active lives as they get older and look back fondly on physical exercise rather than how many posters on this thread feel about PE teachers/PE at school. I'm not sure how my job makes me "statistically more likely to be a dickhead". We actually conduct surveys to ensure children do enjoy PE at our school and we choose the sports to teach based on what they ask to learn.

I just think it's very unfair to suggest PE teachers are all awful when that isn't the case. I've often found that children who dislike PE have parents who openly tell me they hated PE when they were at school. Setting an example for healthy, active living comes from home just as much as school.

@UndertheCedartree do you know if the PE class is split boys and girls? Is there another group DC could go with indoors? Definitely meet the teacher in person and you could request the pastoral leader (Head of Year? Form tutor) also attends so they are all fully clear on the medical issues.

I think all the adults worked out they could leave home later/get home earlier by cancelling all the clubs due to rain! If anyone wants to talk about people 'trying to get out of' P.E.! But no, of course they wouldn't. I suppose this teacher gets to change so thinks 'I'm all right, Jack!'

I’d pull her from PE for the foreseeable future and specify that she stays inside where it’s warm and dry. Otherwise she could well end up being dragged outside to stand in the cold and the rain and watch or ‘help’ (fetch the ball) while the other children do P.E.

Well, I suppose I'm just glad you're not a HCP. I'm a nurse and yes, getting cold and wet for a DC with lowered immunity has a direct bearing on their health. She has just gone back to P.E as I suppose myself and her paediatrician felt with her education plan there would be a duty of care and along with some common sense it would be possible for her to take part in P.E, but clearly not. She already does Physio at home.

@Aubriella this is another reason I don't ask children to go out in the rain- if it rains lesson one the children are wet all day but so am I! If I'm lucky I might have 2 minutes to put on dry socks and spare trainers.

I didn't say all PE teachers are awful. I also didn't say your job makes YOU more likely to be a dickhead, I am entirely open to the idea that you are not. What I said was PE teachers are, unfortunately, statistically more likely to be dickheads than all other types of teacher and the only way to get anywhere is to go round them and I stand by it (whilst obviously not having any real stats to back it up).

Something I think PE teachers do wrong is they refuse to listen to the reality that lots of children are put off exercise by PE. PE teachers usually just blame the parents - as you are doing now. There is no interest in understanding why PE teachers fail to engage quite large numbers of pupils.

You have no idea whether I liked PE or not, whether my DH liked it or not, or whether our kids like(d) it or not. You'll make the assumptions you want to make I guess.

Had you already tested positive for Covid? Have you had blood work done? Long Covid is no fun, I had it myself so I really hope you start to recover soon. And, thank you so much.

I don't have a 'duty of care' for your child or anyone else's, because I am not her teacher and simply (like everyone else here) someone on an internet forum on which you were asking for opinions on whether you were being unreasonable. I'm not really sure why you asked 'AIBU to be cross about this?' when you're obviously 100% certain that you are definitely reasonable to be cross about this, but fair enough, if you're cross, you're cross.

In answer to your second question of 'What would you do?' then what I would do in your situation is nothing, but if I felt the same way as you did about your DD having to sit in damp clothes/do PE in the rain then I would certainly take it up with the school and maybe have a second meeting with them about her Long Covid symptoms if you feel they're not taking it seriously or disseminating her plan properly across all the staff. I don't lack sympathy for your DD at all; it must be really hard for her if she's frequently ill and trying to get back into more regular attendance at school.

Re. weakening of the immune system due to being cold, strenuous exercise also causes a drop in the immune system - it's really common for recreational runners to come down with colds after a race because they're in a large group of people just when they're at they're most knackered. Usually a PE lesson wouldn't be enough to have that effect, but if your DD is really having to over-exert herself more than most children in PE because of her Long Covid fatigue/muscle weakness, that also might be something to keep an eye on.

Hope her mock 11+ went OK despite her having a cold.

My DD doesn't dislike P.E, not do I and we are active and healthy at home as much as possible. And I know you haven"t implied that but it certainly felt like this teacher was, which I think is why I feel so cross. As if 'Long Covid' is just an excuse!!🤬

This is at Primary and no it is not split. I don't think there would be an indoor P.E class she could join but I will ask. We were so happy when she was given the go ahead to do P.E. at the end of Summer term but now I just feel like I can't trust them. I'm going to try and get the Senco and the Y6 Pastoral care teacher to attend as well.

Wait why do kids wear their PE kit to school nowadays? I don't get it. They literally cannot change back into school uniform? Don't they stink the place up? Also just send her in with a note, you can't expect the whole class to do PE inside when it rains because of one pupil.

Yes, good point, thank you.

@10HailMarys, what you're claiming is straightforwardly incorrect. There is plenty research demonstrating that getting chilled down lowers the immune system, making the person more susceptible to catching viruses and less able to fight them off. There is a potential effect on health for someone in this situation. Saying that you 'personally I just don't think the rain itself has any bearing on the OP's daughter's health issues or struggles with PE' is a low-value opinion, because it's not based on any actual knowledge, expertise or evidence.
For those of us with lowered immune systems it's easily possible to end up having back-to-back bouts of different viruses for the entire winter season as a result of this sort of thing - which really would affect her education and her exercise levels.

OP, if I were you I would make a fuss.

Ohh you're talking about primary school! It can't have been that much of a run! If you knew she had a mock exam and that she had long Covid then you should have sent her in with a note. She either can do PE or she can't. It wasn't being in wet clothes that made her ill, it's not Jane Austen.

It seems they had to run a different course to usual - they had to go through the woodland area (giving the course extra slippery, muddy parts), this was where their teacher was standing - sheltering from the rain! I mean tbf he must have had to come out for basketball but I bet he got to change at lunch and after school unlike the poor kids!

I've had similar issues this week op. They do not care about the child's wellbeing at all it is all about attendance.

I think your DD having long covid is irrelevant here.

If it’s pouring with rain outside - don’t do PE outside.
It’s not rocket science.

I’m a teacher and often see them doing PE outside in the rain and I just don’t get it!
We actually have the space where they can use a hall so there’s no excuse.

I do like the idea of wearing your PE kit all day but not if they get soaking wet!

If she's doing 11+ I assume she's still in primary school. When I was a TA in primary school if we were doing PE outside in wet and/or cold weather I would make them wear their coats. They wouldn't just go out in their PE kits to freeze or get soaked. It is common sense even for healthy kids!

It's really tough dealing with children with long-term health issues and school. They can put a lot of pressure on about attendance so it is extra frustrating when they do something that then impacts their attendance. I have that t-shirt, you have my sympathy. Do fight her corner.

I'm obviously refering to her school re 'duty of care'! And I asked to see if I was being reasonable as in if someone gave a sensible reason as to why school were reasonable. Obviously, the vast majority think I'm reasonable. You are a lone voice and your reason is 'rain won't harm her', when actually it will. So I'm not going to put much store by your response. The idea is she shouldn't get over exerted. She can stop it getting breathless/tired etc. But of course if it's pouring in rain she can hardly just stop and sit down. So thanks for that.

Her Mock 11+ went ok, thanks but she was just wiped out after it. She'd gone very pale and was struggling a bit with coughing/breathing. She's got the real thing on Saturday so she's definitely not doing P.E. this Friday!

@10HailMarys you are right and have put it very well.

They prefer not to waste the time of them changing. No, they can't get changed.

I didn't expect the class to do P.E inside because of one pupil. I did expect for the welfare of all the DC that it was moved inside. Beside that I did expect that my DC should stay inside rather than get soaked. I thought I could trust the P.E teacher to make a sensible call. But clearly not.

Schools can't win though. I'm sure there was another thread this week where a parent wanted to complain about making them change for PE and how much better it is when they can just wear their pe kit all day! So whatever the school does someone isn't going to be happy.