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Original poster

Freezing weather, PE indoors

66 replies

digbies · 05/01/2009 16:47

I've been lurking and just reading messages for ages, but I've finally registered so that I can have a rant!

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?

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MollieO · 10/02/2009 11:16

digbies have to say my first thought was troll when I read your post but as you've reappeared maybe you'd share the outcome of your discussion with the teacher/head/school. It does seeem odd to me to read your original post, note that you were waiting for a call back from the teacher but then not bother to post the outcome.

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:17

I also posted my OP on AIBU, and the conversation has developed somewhat over there. I've even been accused by pat2009 of being a pervert there as well as here!

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Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:21

This is a copy of my message posted on AIBU, re speaking to the teacher:
"I got off the phone with the teacher a few minutes ago. What DD told me yesterday was accurate. The teacher confirmed that the girls were told to remove their socks and go barefoot, and that she told them all to remove their skirts. I asked if DD and others told her they weren't wearing gym knickers, and she confirmed that they did tell her, but that she considered it wasn't a reason not to do the lesson. I told her that I found it inappropriate and unacceptable to make girls of that age do PE in their pants - she said she appreciated my point of view and hoped that it wouldn't be necessary again. I don't think that this was really the point!"

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Cammelia · 10/02/2009 11:21

My dd's school have navy PE knickers that they are supposed to wear under their hockey skirts too, digbies, and I think sometimes forget/can't be bothered to put them on.

I guess the teacher was teaching your dd's class a lesson in a way to remind them that PE goes ahead almost regardless.

I am presuming there were no boys or male teachers present.

MollieO · 10/02/2009 11:22

Still seems odd to me not to post either a link to your outcome or post the outcome here as this is where you chose to post it originally! That is what people usually do although I appreciate that you may not know this.

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:23

No, no boys (despite my original confusin over this!0, nor were there any male teachers present.

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Cammelia · 10/02/2009 11:24

MolliO do try to be sure of your facts before criticising

FAQinglovely · 10/02/2009 11:24

so if they'd been told to put their swimming costumes on and do PE in those would it be just as awful??

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:24

Apologies, MollieO.

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Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:25

No, FAQ, absolutely not, as swimming costumes are designed to be worn as outerwear.

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Cammelia · 10/02/2009 11:26

This doesn't sound outside the realms of possibility of happening at my dd's school (she is Yr 7 in a prep)

FAQinglovely · 10/02/2009 11:26

but a swimming costume reveals no more flesh than a pair of knickers doesn't it?

MollieO · 10/02/2009 11:32

Cammelia not sure what your point is. I read this thread in its entirety before posting. How am I supposed to know the OP double posted? What an odd comment.

No problem digbies but as you will see there are a lot of postings which appear (and disappear) from ts.

happywomble · 10/02/2009 11:34

I went to a private girls secondary school and it was normal to wear an airtex pe shirt and navy knickers for gym and also for dance. I remember not liking it at the time.

What does OPS DD normally wear when she does gym at school.

moopymoo · 10/02/2009 11:34

ok I may be against the tide here but..this would happen at ds school - traditional private where they are hosed down after rugby etc. i would be cross, it is a little ott, but the idea that it is some sort of abuse is a complete nonsense and indicative of the premature sexualising of children that pervades our society. It will be designed to stop them forgetting their stuff in future and is no more abuse than making them wear swimming costumes for swimming.

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:36

You are right, FAQ, and normally DD wear a leotard for gymnastics, which is pretty similar in those terms. However, I think there is an important distinction between UNDERwear and clothes that are meant to be worn on the outside. Mayeb you would have been happy doing gym in your pants, but I think many, many girls would not be. We may simply need to agree to disagree on this!

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Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:37

happywomble, she normally has a leotard for gym.

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MollieO · 10/02/2009 11:40

I think it is important to check what uniform the school require your dd to wear. If it is doing gym in their gym knickers then that is the uniform. If you don't like it then speak to the head about a policy change. If this PE teacher is doing something outside the norm then that too needs to be clarified and corrected (if there is some other uniform that your dd should be wearing). In this type of weather I'd send my dc in with the range of PE kit so they will have whatever PE kit the teacher requires - both indoor and outdoor.

FAQinglovely · 10/02/2009 11:40

well my mum didn't bother buying me gym knickers as I refused to wear them as I didn't see the difference in them (apart from being a horrible dark blue ) and my normal knickers.

Cammelia · 10/02/2009 11:45

MollieO as far i see digbies posted the outcome on 06-Jan on both the threads. I see you complaining on 10-Feb that she hadn't posted the outcome

I may be wrong ?

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:46

To clarify, it wasn't originally meant to be gymnastics, which is why no girl had their leotards. Gym knickers for hockey (beneath skirts) are optional ("girls may wear gym knickers beneath their skirts"), hence DD not having any when she had to remove her skirt when the lesson came indoors.

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Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:50

So what did you wear, FAQ? Just your underwear knickers?

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FAQinglovely · 10/02/2009 11:52

I honestly can't remember what I wore for indoor stuff - was a long time ago - I but I know when most of the other girls were puting their gym knickers on for other stuff and fretting that "the boys could see them when they were running around or fell over" I didn't give 2 hoots

Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:53

, FAQ!

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Original poster
digbies · 10/02/2009 11:54

Cammelia, you say that you could imagine this happening at your DD's school. How would you feel if it did, and how do you think she would feel?

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