to expect school to be ready for games being cancelled in the cold weather?

[digbies]

I've posted this in secondary education as well, but heremay be a better place.

My DD is in her 2nd year at secondary school and has games timetabled every Monday, so she went off this morning with her hockey gear. When I met he this evening I asked if she'd done hockey today, considering that the pitch was probably frozen. Thankfully she said no, but what she told me then shocked and annoyed me.

Apparently the whole class had changed and were redy when the teacher arrived late and tod them they'd be indoors doing gymnastics instead. She got the girls to remove their boots, put on their school shoes and walk to the gym, where they took their shoes off and went into the gym. The teacher then told the girls to take their socks off so they were barefoot, but also to remove their skirts !

Apparently the teacher said that skirts were dangerous in the gym with the apparatus, and wasn't moved by the fact that quite a few girls, my dd included, weren't wearing their gym knickers beneath their skirts. I'm right to be angry about this, aren't I?

I'm not happy with the response, but at the same time I'm very conscious of the point that laurie raised earlier, about not making DD too embarrased and self-conscious. I will of course be making sure she has her gym knickers with her for all PE and games lessons from now on!

I am speechless! I can normally see why schools do some odd things sometimes but this is NOT ON!

You MUST take it further. Your dd doesn't need to know.

I really can see why I should speak to the head of PE or even the headmistress, but at the same time part of me is saying if DD always has her gym knickers, she'll not experience this again...

To be honest,I would take this up with the head. I would instruct my child to refuse to do this if it came up again in the future, and I would inform the school that she wasn't going to be doing PE in her knickers, end of.
BTW, I'm a teacher, and not normally one to oppose authority, but I think this is a dignity issue. There are plenty of courses around for teachers on how to work with teenage girls to improve their self esteem. Perhaps this woman needs to attend one!

I honestly think it would be worse for her self-esteem (given that she wasn't comfortable in the first place) to be made to do it again than to have you make a fuss (that you should easily be able to keep quiet and between you and the head + PE teacher, anyway)

She has a nother lesson timetabled today, so I've made sure she has her full kit, including her gym knickers. She's meant to be calling me at lunch to let me know what happened.

DD has just called. She ended up doing gym in the school hall as the gymnasium was being used. This time it was a mixed group of boys and girls. The teacher made them all go barefoot, and had the girls take off their skirts again, so I'm glad DD had her gym knickers with her!

Disgrace. Complain, especially as there were boys there. I teach primary and from yr 5 onwards, the girls and boys get changed separately.

Also, what teenager wants to go about in their bloody knickers in front of other girls and boys? They are so self conscious at that age. Imagine if they have their period, feeling uncomfortable about their weight...PE kit should be a tracksuit.

pudding, are you objecting to the girls wearing their GYM knickers in front of boys?

I would .... were the boys just in their underpants? I hope not. This was never an issue in my childhood as PE lessons were single-sex but now they are mixed the girls should have the option to wear shorts.

If they make the girls wear gym knickers then what is the boys equivalent?. I bet they dont make them wear such a blooming ridiculous item of clothing. Shorts or tracksuits should be the preferred option.

Snap

Did any of the kids forget their gym knickers this time digbies. I know your DD wasn't affected on this occasion (which is great!) But I do feel really bad for anyone who was. I can't believe it has happened again and in a mixed sex group this time. It's idiotic.

i think the boys kept their shorts and rugby shirts from their outdoor kit. the girls wear skirts outdoors.

i'm not sure if any of the girls didn't have thier gym knickers. i'll ask dd tonight.

just got back from picking DD up. Apparently there were 15 or so girls in the class, and lots of them had brought their leotards in and wore those. the rest had their gym knickers with them, thank goodness!

Bet they all learnt from the last time! I don't think I would pursue it as such, not in terms of expecting any particular action on it, but I would write to the head to make it known that I felt it unacceptable. Maybe if there are a few such complaints they won't do it again. They should also tell everyone to bring indoor as well as outdoor kits in, in case of bad weather.

I would have been completely mortified at 12 to have to do p.e. in my knickers, just as I would be now! I don't think that is unreasonable of me.

I think I will write then, to let the school know that I'm unhappy, but making it clear that I'm not asking for any specific action beyond an assurance it won't happen again.

I'm not sure DD needs to always take her indoor leotard with her for every outdoor lesson. I've no problem with her doing indoor lessons in t-shirt and gym knickers.

It is completely unacceptable and degrading to the girls.Don't they have shorts or anything they could have worn ?
Not wanting to alarm you too much but we had to put up with 2 school games teachers who were quite obviously 'interested ' in young girls I would certainly out a complaint in writing

FWIW i think even gym knickers are too "skimpy" for the self conscious teenager, especially in a mixed sex group. If you WANT to wear a bikini on the beach, or do a gym display in a leotard, that's different, your choice, but when you have to do compulsary PE, you should at least be able to be "comfortable" in your kit.It is discrimination, surely! why can't they just wear shorts?

Katie, we had a bit of a pervy PE teacher too, if you said you had forgotten your towel she would lend you a tea towel and WATCH to make sure you showered and used it. So embarrassing!!

I think a complaint in writing is called for too. How old is the PE teacher in question? Does she have kids herself?

My dd1 had to wear gym knickers for a while until the school saw sense and abolished them in favour of shorts. It was the most hated and embarrassing item of clothing she ever possessed.

YANBU. Girls of that age should not have to do Gym in thier knickers.

Also at my daughters high school they did not have gym knickers. They could wear shorts or track suit bottoms.

katie and loobey, I have no problem with the PE teacher in the way you imply - I'm not concerned that she gets some sort of kick out of this. If she did, I'm sure she'd make the girls ditch their skirts more often.

Nor am I bothered about DD wearing gym knickers. Normally for her indoor lessons she wears a leotard anyway, and this is pretty similar to gym knickers in terms of coverage etc.