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Primary education

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Original poster

Goggles not allowed for swimming lessons. Why not?

41 replies

lovecheese · 04/09/2010 14:51

The reason given when I queried this in my DCs diary was for reasons of "practicality and safety". FFS! these kids are 9 or 10, they are not 4 years old, in what way would wearing goggles hinder safety? To swim well your head needs to go under the water, and I'm sure anyone would agree that this is easier - and safer because you can see!. Going to speak to the head next week and would be interested to hear if anyone else had come up against such crap.

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pugsandseals · 05/09/2010 17:08

DD's school insist they all wear goggles and a cap. I can't understand why they would be banned!?!

Takver · 05/09/2010 17:24

What do shortsighted children do? Presumably at 9 they're unlikely to wear lenses (and anyway, I think you can only wear them in a pool with goggles over them).

IAPJJLPJ · 05/09/2010 21:07

My ds school has this policy too. It was due to "eye injuries" from the goggles.

However......

I have since heard from another parent that the reason really is quite different.....

Where they go swimming there are 3 instructors for the different groups and apparently only one of them is fully qualified. The other 2 have done a basic certificate in school swimming which does not include the safe wearing of goggles for swimming.....

civil · 06/09/2010 09:15

The issue of googles....

My dd did swimming lessons where they HAD to wear googles. I have to admit that - with the amount of faffing that goes on - I would have let 5 year olds so what they like.

pugsandseals · 06/09/2010 14:07

You can buy prescription goggles now but are very expensive Takver . I hated swimming at school as I would always have to 'go blind'. It's only now as an adult that I wear contact lenses to swim that I can actually enjoy it! (Optician says they're fine BTW as long as you take them straight out afterwards to avoid infection)

SaliMali1 · 06/09/2010 17:14

we have to have consent forms for goggles in my area.

preghead · 06/09/2010 17:16

our school and local swimming centre have this policy and say it is becasue they must be able to swim in an emergency without having to rely on them.

Takver · 06/09/2010 17:29

pugsandseals - that was my point - dd wears them, they aren't that expensive and they mean that she can actually see the instructor

pugsandseals · 07/09/2010 13:58

Am jealous! Why didn't they sell them when I was at school?

emptyshell · 07/09/2010 14:27

99% of the time it's the pool policy being passed onto schools - local one here is that you have to fill in a disclaimer if you want to wear them. I collect the LEA goggle forms, take them dutifully to the pool and no one ever bothers to look at them so I turn a blind eye (I can't swim without them either).

As a teacher - I don't particularly care either way what they wear for swimming, although I do loathe swimming hats with a passion as the damned things always ping halfway across the changing room when I'm trying to get them on 15 little girls' heads!

The pool instructors though have a tonne of rules - no two pieces, no baggy shorts, no swimming trunks that are on the verge of succumbing to gravity (although I'm quite glad of this rule when they're trying to get the kids to get out of the pool without using the steps and you end up looking like you've passed a building site with shorts at various levels of half-mast).

I'm always the mug who comes back from swimming wearing half the swimming pool anyway - I don't know how I get wetter stood on the side than the kids do.

bruffin · 07/09/2010 15:04

We have the same teachers for school as for the lessons on saturday morning.
The rules are different ie for school no goggles, tight fitting swim suit etc
In public lessons goggles are allowed and they aren't strict about swimming costumes, but I have heard them advise the boys it would be a lot easier to swim if they wore speedos rather than baggy shorts.

My DS did his bronze medalion and was never allowed goggles and had to do most of his swimming in proper clothes ie shirt, long sleeve top and trousers and had to swim with his head above water, again this was the same teachers.

scurryfunge · 07/09/2010 15:14

My DS was wearing contact lenses at 10....I would have been upset if he had been excluded from swimming because of a goggle ban.

bruffin · 07/09/2010 15:32

There was a girl in DS's class who was extremely short sighted. She used to leave her glasses with a teacher, then one of her friends used to help her to the side of the pool. She managed fine without goggles and was one of the best swimmers in the class.

scurryfunge · 07/09/2010 15:35

My son is also an excellent swimmer but he can't see the teacher's demonstrations at the side of the pool without contacts.

Takver · 07/09/2010 19:10

Same as scurryfunge - dd stopped lessons once she got past the stage where the teacher was in the pool as it was a total waste of money since she couldn't see what was going on (and she got grief for 'not paying attention').

Have since bought prescription goggles, so now she can see :)

I'm planning on getting myself a pair, sure, I can swim fine & not bump into people, but it is a pita not being able to see the clock, can't find dd if I'm looking for her, etc.

sunnydelight · 08/09/2010 09:30

How bizarre. My kids have swimming lessons via school next term and I've just read in the info that they aren't allowed in the water without goggles. Swimming is taught very differently here (Oz) to the UK with face down in the water from day 1. All swim schools insist on goggles.

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