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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

swimming using googles

24 replies

lexcat · 12/02/2007 09:46

Feeling very f... off with dd teacher they are due to go swimming next half term. My dd as a poblem with the chorine and her eye ie. they get red and sore. So therefore she wears googles. But the school won't let them wear googles. I went along with this when she was is recpetion, and she came home every time rubbing her eyes most of the evening and saying they were sore. She also lost a lot of confidents in the water. I have since them heard of older children (y3/y4) in the school with this problem have been able to wear googles. So I spoke to her teacher, who told me they can't wear googles because her insurance doesn't cover children with googles, and at her level of swimming (75+ meters)she shouldn't need to be going under water because they should be using breathing techniques. She's talking though her hat as the face is in and out of the water with the breathing techniques
I have been palmed off with, you can put her googles in her bag and she maybe able to use them no guarantee.
The worst is we are expected to pay for the half term's swimming. Anybody had the same problem with google,is there a way round it. thanks

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KTeePee · 12/02/2007 10:01

Our school is the same - goggles not allowed unless you have a letter from the doctor - it is the swimming pool rather than the school that sets the policy I think. I don't really understand why - they say it is because of "health and safety". It's not a problem to wear them at private lessons outside school though - in fact the teacher often suggests it.

My dd is a really good swimmer outside school but doesn't do so well at school lessons because she finds it harder when she's not wearing goggles....

Loshad · 12/02/2007 11:11

seems complete boll to me, not surprised you're fed up.

Ali5 · 12/02/2007 11:14

Our school allows children to wear goggles with a letter of permission from the parents. It's a pool policy, not the school's - don't know why and I suspect your dd's teacher is misinformed. Ask to see the school's PE policy, or talk to the PE co-ordinator and ask for an explanation. You could ring the pool direct and ask if it's their policy and if it is, why?

admylin · 12/02/2007 11:18

That's crazy, if that happened to my ds who is also sensitive to the chlorine I would not let him go swimming, I would write a note along the lines "If ds is not allowed to wear goggles he will not be joining in with swimming".

mitbap · 12/02/2007 11:28

It's the same everywhere. It does appear to be the pool's policy not the school. Ours accepted a letter from me - didn't need to take it to doctor's note level. No idea why - the insurance thing sounds rather weird - can't insure a swimming class if children wear goggles - mad!? Ours go to a private swimming club for lessons and they certainly allow goggles. I love the bit about shouldn't need to go underwater - there is of course absolutely no splashing in a pool full of kids who can't swim too well!

wheresthehamster · 12/02/2007 11:40

Ours is a letter at primary level.

At secondary they can wear them if they want, no letter needed, same pool though.

bambi06 · 12/02/2007 11:43

our dd has just started swimming lessons at local pool and they have actually given her goggles everytime to help her go under water as they could see she was having problems ....so pool policy...hhmm!!! anyway she`s now enjoying putting her face in the water and keeps telling me what she can see ..a very happy bunny

jhyesmum · 12/02/2007 13:40

Hi! Hope you don't mind me putting my two cents worth in!

I have Managed swimming pools for 11 years. There is no policy that states goggles are not to be worn. The only policy there is, is that snorkles cannot be worn (unless in proffesional sessions).

If I was you, I would ask the swimming pool's duty manager and ask if there is any such policy regarding goggles. If this was the case, goggles wouldn't be allowed to be used during regular public sessions.

The only risk to your child is if your DD gets kicked in the face by another child. However, as long as the group she is in is taught in an organised manner, the risk is extremely low.

I have been kicked in the face a few times, and the worst i got was a light bruise.

If you went to ask your doctor for a note, they would for a start look at you in disbelief and another they would probably charge you for the pleasure!

I note from you should suffice.

Sounds to me that the teacher is just being a pain in the a*!!

Good luck and stick to your guns!

SaintGeorge · 12/02/2007 14:04

Our local policy is that goggles can be worn with a letter of permission from parents. Most importantly the letter has to state that you accept liability for injury and take responsibility for teaching the child how to safely put on/remove the goggles.

Apparently the majority of problems previously was with the twanging of the elastic straps, or the goggles rebounding onto the face because the child was stretching the elastic when taking them off.

KTeePee · 12/02/2007 14:06

So that's what the H&S issue is

mitbap · 12/02/2007 14:07

Yes but - reading this thread it does seem to be a common experience with swimming lessons at public pools for classes of school children - and presumably not all the posters are in the same location. It would be nice to get to the bottom of this.

SaintGeorge · 12/02/2007 14:23

A quick Google on goggles [smiles] turns up 3 main H&S issues:

Collisions due to lack of vision clarity.

Accidents involving the elastic straps.

Accidents caused to wearer by damaged lens/rubber seals.

SaintGeorge · 12/02/2007 14:23

even!

wheresthehamster · 12/02/2007 15:06

But children who generally wear goggles outside of school swimming lessons know how to put them on and take them off by the time they're 5 surely?

You can adjust them correctly before they go to school so they shouldn't be fiddling with them and twanging them unnecessarily.

wheresthehamster · 12/02/2007 15:08

And why should it only be school swimming lessons where children are bumping into each other through lack of vision?

Have never seen this at public swimming.

SaintGeorge · 12/02/2007 15:13

That assumes all the kids have been swimming and worn goggles before. Big assumption.

It is all about liability. If parents write giving permission and accepting liability, there should be no problem.

At a public swimming pool presumably the parent would be there to accept liability directly.

wheresthehamster · 12/02/2007 15:16

If your child has never worn goggles how do you know they will need them?

VioletBaudelaire · 12/02/2007 15:19

Can I just pop in with my
"it's risk assessment gorn maaaaaaaaad"
comment?
Thank you.

wheresthehamster · 12/02/2007 15:21

I agree, that's why I can feel myself getting tetchy.

jhyesmum · 12/02/2007 16:04

i agree about H&S, it's all got out of proportion.

However, if someone is sensitive to chlorine, wearing goggles is not going to kill them.

If you want to wear them, bloody well wear them!

Polgara2 · 12/02/2007 16:11

Had the same problem and had to provide doctors note for dd1. Was told the issues of twanging etc but also told that they needed to learn to swim without goggles because if they fall in water anywhere they won't have time to put goggles on!!! Hmmmm.

amicissima · 12/02/2007 16:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nikkie · 12/02/2007 20:58

I think it is more likely to be that the teachers are spending too much time messing with goggles, you see it at my kids lessons and there is only 8 in the class there.When dd1 was in very early lessons 2/3 yo the teacher made a point of showing us how to fit goggles correctly so they seal/stay on etc and about 75% of people wearing goggles have them on wrong.I would think teachers wouldn't be allowed to mess about fitting them very much either.

Original poster

lexcat · 13/02/2007 10:40

I understand the the problem with lots of kids and goggles and h&s, but at the same time my dd has got goggles with are 180 degres vison and anti fog and she is very capable of putting them on herself. I have already said to the teacher I understand that they are her responsible and she has to keep them on or they are taken away. As for it been the pools policy my dd does swimming lessons at the same pool,which the pool run NO problem with googles. I don't want have to waste my doctor's time with a note but I will as a last resort.
Thank-you for all your feedback on this problem, it's nice to know I'm not alone on this one.

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