Didn't think schools were this strict these days

Anya - well said. Of course all school staff are not evil but I have met a few parents who are!

Re the knickers, doesn't it depend how old the child is? You wouldn't expect a twelve year old to do PE in her/his knickers but would a five year old find it embarrassing?

Yes, primary school was PE in knickers. Convent school was PE in woollen divided skirts that were not allowed to creep above the knees. Showing too much leg was immoral and the path to hell.

Bellanonna

Who the hell said "all school staff are evil" ?

Talk about twisting a conversation.

P.E is more important than ever now and most schools would give the child a school kit to borrow from the sweaty box as it was nicknamed at my old school lots of children will do their utmost to avoid PE and therefore this is the answer for lots of them

What's the matter with underwear? OK, it was 1,000 years ago, but my school PT kit was navy blue knickers with a school blouse and tie! My own daughters had to wear navy school knickers for PT too, but with a polo shirt. As for getting changed, the boys used one classroom and the girls another. The boys also got to wear shorts. In these days of unisex toilets (which I find disgusting) I fail to see the problem with underwear.

No child should be humiliated in the way at school! If I were in that situation I would complain.
My dgd (6) 'lost' her plimsolls at school (I've no idea how this happens!!) & she had to do P.E. in her bare feet in the gym hall last week. She was very angry about this! I advised her to take better care of her belongings! I have replaced them but have threatened that she'll have to pay for the next pair if she loses these!! ?

Don't expect your GC will forget the gym kit again in a hurry

Teachers take such a high handed tone over things, which has been perfectly illustrated here. No one said they are all evil, they are however rude to us, their employers, while expecting us to support their ongoing wage claims and whinging. Many people in the private sector also work long hours for low pay but to hear teachers tell it, it is just them.

I took my kids out of school and did home ed. rather than have to live with the petty rules of the school, and I taught myself for a time, and was appalled at the staff room chats about family and children. Gossip passed off as professional comment. I note how many teachers are now taken to court for inappropriate sexual relationships with pupils, it isn't new, it is just being actioned more.

Many other countries manage with out the uniform system and we should do here. Also, teachers who moan about parents turning up for school runs in PJ's, need reminding that we pay their wages, some of us have been up all night
What we wear is our business. Respect is a two way thing and very few teachers earn it, they bully the parents as well as the kids.

I know several who send pupils into other classrooms, with notes for teachers, coded, saying 'this is my ugliest one' or 'most stupid one' or 'most likely to be a prostitute' they can be a scathing bunch of judgemental nit wits and more childish than the children in their care. I accidentally found a male teacher having sex in the judo mats cupboard, with the sex education teacher! They aren't all Mr Chips but any means.

I had a few inspirational teachers 60 years ago, when they were less concerned with their ego and more concerned about imparting knowledge.

I pity parents who face the treadmill of school life now.

At my all girls grammar school lessons in the gym were done in navy bullet-proof passion killers and bare feet. It was thought that shorts might catch in the gym apparatus. In those days everyone used STs, no-one wore internal protection, so not too good on certain days of the month. We could wear shorts outside for hockey, netball etc but they were not compulsory. A busy main train line ran within viewing range of the games field.

Sorry, I’ve only just joined this thread, and read it from the beginning in one go. I must be missing something - what is the problem with a primary school child doing their PE lesson in their knickers? All private parts are covered, these are pre-pubescent children. Would we say it was wrong for a baby to be wearing only a nappy on its lower half? What is it that most GNs object to?

I can't think of many things that would humiliate a girl or a boy more than having to display their underpants/underwear in front of other kids. Am I correct in thinking she was not in infant school?

So she forgot her PE Kit, are we all so perfect ?

I think it was a cruel thing to do and there were better ways of handling the situation in a mature fashion such as grounded for lunch or extra homework.

We were 14 years old before we were allowed to wear a sports kit..... navy blue knickers and our vests...winter and summer .No fleeces no track suits... no nothing. Also had to run the gauntlet of the boys doing there P.E. stuff to get to our rounders/ tennis area. Same in the gym ...knickers and vests !! The boys of course had shorts and rugby shirts to wear. I think it was all just for benefit of some ‘ pervy ‘teachers. Cannot think of ANY other reason than to make girls feel inferior and bad about themselves. Borrowed kit!!! I’d have snatched an arm off for that!!

The first time that I forgot my gym kit ( on purpose) I realised it was a mistake, the gym teacher had lots of spare old sets of clothes to hand out.

Not every primary school aged child is pre pubescent especially in year 5/6

Most of the various schools I attended had separate outfits for each sport. Knickers for gym, and wrap around skirts for hockey/pleated skirts for netball both worn over the ubiquitous gym knickers. We also had to have regulation swimsuits-did anyone else have a black Judy Grinham swimsuit and rubber swimming cap?

We keep spare kit for children who have ‘forgotten’ it, usually donated stuff but some of it is what children would not like as described by VQ. It worries me that children, especially in KS2 (juniors) aren’t expected to remember their own kit. They should be developing more independence. It makes me laugh when some children who always remember their mobile phones (which are kept in alocked drawer till home time), can’t remember their PE kit.

It makes you laugh does it really adaunas ?

That sort of comment almost makes me feel sick !

My DGC absolutely adore PE and all sports for that matter. They hate the idea of missing PE . But if they have part if their kit stolen ( possibly for a laugh as others have suggested) and you get a laugh out of it ....... well who am I to argue ?

Adaunus, we have had children come to school with no underwear on, never mind PE kit. This is not because they have forgotten it, but the only pair they have is in the wash. Would you be laughing then?
Comments like that are unaceptable from a teacher, just as discussing families in a staff room is.

I'm a firm believer in schools sticking to rules, not changing them to suit the minority. If it's PE day then the children do PE, no argument.

These unreasonable rules in schools now would make me take my children out and teach them at home.
£18 for shorts, which have been stolen? What the hell is wrong with supermarket shorts? Same with daft rules about what they can have in a packed lunch (while school meal includes cake) and draconian punishments for minor infringements.
Most kids loathe PE and no, it’s not going to stop obesity.
There’s also the obsession with 100% attendance and some schools telling parents to send in sick children.
This is all the result of privatising education (academy schools) and ticking boxes to meet endless targets.

We also had a child who regularly came to school in her mother's or elder sister's shoes. We often gave her old plimsolls but she rarely had her own outdoor shoes. We never ever expected PE kit , that was the last thing the poor child needed This was in the 2000s , not as you might suppose the 1800s

If it's PE day then the children do PE, no argument.
Even if it means having to do it in their knickers?

I think having to do anything in underwear in public is unacceptable.

Wasn't really in public, though. It was at school