Any P.E. teachers about? I have a question.

coolcait

fluffnutter wrote: »

I've got deja vu about this thread... I'm sure this was raised last year some time.

Just over six months ago. I know - time zooms past these days!

If you take the old-fashioned idea that school is a preparation for life...

There will be things which are uncomfortable. If you have a dress code at work, then there will times when you are overheating.

Yet, some of your colleagues - whose internal thermostats are on a different setting - will be complaining that they are freezing...

I might be more sympathetic to the concept of the 'poor freezing children at outdoors PE' if I actually saw more schoolchildren/teenagers dressed appropriately for the weather at any time.

We live in a collection of nations where people will happily go to football matches in all weathers, wearing inappropriate clothing.

They'll go clubbing at night, in winter, wearing very little - even if their body shows that they sat in the library during every gym period at school.

Speaking as a self-confessed fat, lazy cow who hated PE, I can't agree with most of the concepts on this thread or its predecessor.

meritaten

School doesnt prepare you for real life does it? School is there to provide you with an 'education'. In my view, by kidding itself that school is preparing students for 'real life - or even 'working life' its badly failing. Its even failing in 'education'! Since the 'olden days' when schools concentrated on ramming in the 'basics' and branched out, the numbers of children leaving without even knowing the 'three Rs' has increased! The teachers on this forum will probably be incensed by now - but, standards of literacy ARE falling! numerous studies have shown this - yet the curriculum gets ever more complex every year - I was shocked that my four year old grandson was given 'homework' which included learning the shapes of octagons, decahydrons etc! he couldnt even say them! at his age he should be playing with squares, rectangles etc - but I suppose they were covered in baby clinic!

Supernatural

I could never do PE because of a bad knee problem, I always ended up watching/collecting lost balls/raking the long jump sand pit and other thrilling activities, I would have probably done better at school if I was allowed to study instead.

I do remember the horror the lost property PE kit used to evoke in some of the more fashionable girls though (of which I was most definitely not!), hilarious!

coolcait

meritaten wrote: »

School doesnt prepare you for real life does it? School is there to provide you with an 'education'. In my view, by kidding itself that school is preparing students for 'real life - or even 'working life' its badly failing. Its even failing in 'education'! Since the 'olden days' when schools concentrated on ramming in the 'basics' and branched out, the numbers of children leaving without even knowing the 'three Rs' has increased! The teachers on this forum will probably be incensed by now - but, standards of literacy ARE falling! numerous studies have shown this - yet the curriculum gets ever more complex every year - I was shocked that my four year old grandson was given 'homework' which included learning the shapes of octagons, decahydrons etc! he couldnt even say them! at his age he should be playing with squares, rectangles etc - but I suppose they were covered in baby clinic!

But 'education' and 'preparing for real life' can be two very different things.

On the 'education' front, given that standards of literacy have fallen so far, people seem to get by without any basic knowledge of grammar. Hence 'should of' etc; 'I have went',and so on.

Spell checkers will help with things like octagons and dodecahedrons.

Preparing for the 'real-life' battles over the office air conditioning and heating can be tough. Especially when your office has a dress code.

But, if your school years have conditioned you to the idea that you must wear certain clothing, no matter how warm/cold your working environment..

You have a head start in terms of dealing with the problem.

Poppy9

When DD had swimming in school the PE teacher told them that she would record when they were excused due to their period and she would only accept that excuse once every 4 weeks!!!!

When DD went into Y12 they had a team building day with the army on an assault course. Home came the consent form which said if they had asthma then they could not take part. DD wanted to take part so I rang the school and they said she couldn't so she duly took in her consent form with the asthma box ticked which would excuse her. They could go for the day but were not allowed to take part. There were a group of about 10 in a similar position plus a few with other injuries which excluded them (DD knew others with asthma but the parents had obviously not taken heed of the asthma bit). The army instructors just told the "spare" group to shift themselves and do the course, which they all did with no incident.

Curlywurli

meritaten wrote: »

School doesnt prepare you for real life does it? School is there to provide you with an 'education'. In my view, by kidding itself that school is preparing students for 'real life - or even 'working life' its badly failing. Its even failing in 'education'! Since the 'olden days' when schools concentrated on ramming in the 'basics' and branched out, the numbers of children leaving without even knowing the 'three Rs' has increased! The teachers on this forum will probably be incensed by now - but, standards of literacy ARE falling! numerous studies have shown this - yet the curriculum gets ever more complex every year - I was shocked that my four year old grandson was given 'homework' which included learning the shapes of octagons, decahydrons etc! he couldnt even say them! at his age he should be playing with squares, rectangles etc - but I suppose they were covered in baby clinic!

Sadly standards are falling. There's always someone telling us that there's a new better way of doing things. There are far too many schemes that are the best new idea. We spend so much time assessing the children it's ridiculous. Some spend more time assessing than actually teaching. We're no longer just allowed to get on with our jobs and teach. We're so busy and always have to reach the next target that there's no time to chat to the children and get to know them as individuals.

That maths homework is completely inappropriate for a four year old!

madison-nyc

PE teachers are in the same category as dentists to me , both bring back horrid childhood memories!

meer53

I know we live in the UK and like to have a moan about the weather, but it's not always freezing on PE days you know !

My daughters school has the same policy as the OP's. It doesn't concern me at all, if i felt my daughter was too ill to be standing outside, i'd let the school know, they're quite friendly people, and if she got detention, then thats how it would have to be. Her PE kit consists of shorts, polo shirt PLUS, fleecy tracksuit bottoms and a fleecy hoodie.

She also has to wear a blazer to and from school but is allowed to take it off in lessons if it gets too warm. Schools have to set rules, they can't be making different rules for different pupils. As far as i know, standing out in the cold for an hour isn't usually fatal, uncomfortable, yes but not life threatening. If you feel that it may be for your child, then they really shouldn't be at school anyway.

Joannag_2

I am a teacher (not PE) and the reason I suggested you ask the teacher is that it could be a reason particular to your child not just school policy. All cases may be taken on an individual basis. I am sure you haven't been bad mouthing the school and their decision in front of your child without knowing their side of the story, but some parents do and it is very damaging to the child and the school. The best relationships for children are ones where adults work in partnership. I look forward to hearing the school's response and hope you reach a solution that shows your child you and the school are working together for her benefit.

Valli

Leaving a child unsupervised in a part of the building away from the rest of his/her class might be an issue.