Whats the status on P.E. in schools?

katie1812

When I was at school (and I only left 6 years ago although I know things have changed) there would have been o way we could have said we didn't want to do PE anymore. I liked PE, didn't take it as a GCSE but enjoyed the compulsory lessons. I had plen of friends that disliked it but they did it, quite often they'd be at the back of the queue for volunteering but they still participated. You have to go through life doing things you don't want to do, there are subjects we all dislike, but you don't hear of people dropping maths or science do you?!

Obviously it depends on the schools equipment as to what sports they can offer but perhaps if there were a number of students who felt the same they could come up with some activities that could be used in the lesson.

Janepig

GobbledyGook wrote: »

15 year old children shouldn't be making the decision to drop a school subject, any school subject, without a discussion with their parents. A school also shouldn't ever allow a 15 year old child to drop a school subject, or continually dodge a school subject, without speaking to the parent.

So we go back to the old chestnut that's often discussed on these boards of whether parents should back the school up or not. Should the OP be saying to her DD that she should just suck it up and get on with it, or should she be helping her DD go against the school and get out of it?

Like I say, I was told on my thread that uniform rules (which may not be rules) for primary schools are set in stone and I as a parent should not be attempting to allow my children to wear anything else, but somehow in secondary school, going to the timetabled lessons is something that it's perfectly acceptable for parents to assist their children in getting out of. Not forgetting of course that what the school allow one child to do they will have to let the others do.

Jx

GobbledyGook

Janepig wrote: »

So we go back to the old chestnut that's often discussed on these boards of whether parents should back the school up or not. Should the OP be saying to her DD that she should just suck it up and get on with it, or should she be helping her DD go against the school and get out of it?

Like I say, I was told on my thread that uniform rules (which may not be rules) for primary schools are set in stone and I as a parent should not be attempting to allow my children to wear anything else, but somehow in secondary school, going to the timetabled lessons is something that it's perfectly acceptable for parents to assist their children in getting out of. Not forgetting of course that what the school allow one child to do they will have to let the others do.

Jx

There's a difference, surely, between a parent approaching the school to discuss if there are any possible alternatives to the current situation and a parent actively going against the school?

The school haven't offered their opinion on the situation so far. If the school says 'No, she must do the P.E.' then, imo, the parent should back it up. I fail to see where the harm is in a parent a) letting the school know that the P.E. is impacting on the child to such an extent and b) asking if there are alternatives.

Also it is a complete myth that a school will have to allow all children to drop out of P.E. if they allow one to do so. If they allow the O.P's daughter to drop out of P.E. because it is making her depressed and starting to impact on her school studies in general then they would only have to allow the same consideration to any other child who is being impacted in the same way. There is scope in schools to deal with the individual circumstances of children.

No-one has said that parents should be assisting their child in getting out of lessons willy-nilly, but what is wrong with a parent speaking to the school about a situation with the child to find out if there is an alternative when their child is going to such lengths currently? The OP did not say "I am writing a note to get her out of P.E. she said "Can i write a note" - there is a difference between investigating if there are options and demanding something.

thegirlintheattic

PE is compulsorily in Key Stage 4 and your request would be denied. Nearly all schools now offer some non-competitive activity for PE, maybe you or your DS should ask about fitness training, aerobics or jogging.

Jonee

My son hated PE too....the boys only ever seemed to do football, which my son really dislikes....no choice of any other activity was given so he never used to do it, just sat on the bench in the changing rooms...anyway, he regularly received an hours detention for it, he done all the detentions even though I had explained to the school the only activity given was football, so subsequently he never done ANY exercise at school....good job he loves biking and is always out training on his bike....now he has left school....so I don`t have to worry....but good luck and I hope you get a better response to me...

*Laura*_4

Charityworker wrote: »

She finds sport difficult. She can't hit a ball to save her life, can't climb a rope, can't jump over anything etc. She just isn't the sporting type. She likes exercise though. If there was aerobics taught in schools she would be OK.

I agree that the school will not excuse her on these reasons. I fall into the category of hating PE just because I'm unfit and dislike excercise, for me the school aim was to to stop obesity taking it's hold.
For your DD perhaps the role of the school is to teach her if she can't do something then maybe that is not the end of the world. Maybe to be challenged and learn that she will sometimes fail, but will sometimes far excel what she thought she could do is the reason for her partaking in that PE class.
Yes PE can be miserable, but I firmly believe that the life lesson of sometimes you have to do stuff you don't like is worth it..... or at least for her to learn if she wants to get out of something she has to figure out how to do it herself, not ask her Mum to do it for her.
x

j.e.j.

It looks like it's not so much the exercise, but the whole culture of PE at school that's causing OP's daughter (and doubtless many others..) distress. The awful changing room, the awful PE kit, the humiliation of doing stuff you hate and have no aptitude for, in front of everybody else..

A friend of mine never used to do PE. She always had a sick-note from her dad

OP I think if I felt that strongly about it, I would write to the school and say you don't wish your daughter to participate in PE lessons with immediate effect, and see what their response is. Don't put that she 'doesn't like it', just that you don't want her to participate. YOU know she gets exercise, and tbh it's irrelevant what the other kids do or don't do.

janninew

God who actually enjoyed PE at school?! The dreaded crosscountry, playing netball when it was so cold you couldn't feel your hands! PE is compulsory and if the school said she didn't have to attend lessons (which I doubt!) its setting a dangerous precedent! Before they know it they will have 20 parents writing in asking if their child can do maths, art, drama etc instead! School timetables are very complicated and it would be an administrative nightmare.

GobbledyGook

There is a difference between children not particularly liking P.E. and a situation where the O.P. considers her daughter as getting depressed about it. That is something that the school will have to listen to and should try and help resolve. No decent school would ignore a situation that sees a child depressed/getting depressed and most would (imo) like to know it's going on to at least have a opportunity to see if there is anything that can be done.

One thing is for sure though, the school cannot do anything to help if they do not know about it.

thegirlintheattic

GobbledyGook wrote: »

There is a difference between children not particularly liking P.E. and a situation where the O.P. considers her daughter as getting depressed about it. That is something that the school will have to listen to and should try and help resolve. No decent school would ignore a situation that sees a child depressed/getting depressed and most would (imo) like to know it's going on to at least have a opportunity to see if there is anything that can be done.

One thing is for sure though, the school cannot do anything to help if they do not know about it.

Am I the only one that thinks depressed is overused these days?! I've seen people with depression, most struggle to get out of the house or get dressed, not hate two lessons a week of school. Apologies to the OP if her daughter is actually depressed rather than just unhappy. If your daughter is depressed get her to the GP and then tackle the school afterwards.