Schoolchildren Made To Do PE Barefoot So They Didn’t Ruin Shiny New Flooring

Nov 02, 2021

Gym class is a fun time for students to finally let out a good majority of their energy for the day. They get to run around and have fun with their classmates while getting a good amount of exercise for the day. Most students wear sweats or athletic clothes and sneakers to move as freely as possible. However, one school in the United Kingdom made its students go barefoot for their gym class to avoid ruining the shiny new floor in their gymnasium.

The new gym at Inchinnan Primary in Greenock Road in Renfrewshire opened on Oct. 19, 2021, much to the excitement of the school community. Sadly that excitement quickly faded and turned into anger as many parents found out that their children were forced to partake in their physical education class without wearing shoes or socks as a way to make sure that the floor didn’t get damaged.

Parents were frustrated with the school for making their children do so, as they worried about the potential risks that come along with running around barefoot. Kids could have potentially gotten cuts or hurt themselves. The new gym was something students, parents and faculty had been looking forward to. For the past 18 months, students’ gym classes were held either outdoors or in a local church while the gym was under renovation.

It seemed like this change was already causing several new problems, and parents made sure to address the school with their concerns. Read on to find out more about this troubling new rule.

The Frustrating School Rule

According to The Gazette, schoolchildren who did not have white soles on their sneakers were told they could not wear them during gym class since they could potentially damage the shiny new floor. These students were then told to take off their shoes and their socks to prevent them from sliding, resulting in about 40% of the students having to move forward with class completely barefoot.

One parent explained:

“Over the past year, we have been told about the exciting new gym hall being built and how good it’s going to be for our children going forward. They’ve been told that, as it’s a brand new floor, if they don’t have ‘white soles’ on their trainers then they have to take their shoes and socks off and do gym in their bare feet.”

This new rule was affecting students as young as five years old, all to help “preserve” the floor. Parents were frustrated with the school’s lack of communication. They were never told to just buy shoes with white soles and were unaware that their children were doing gym class barefoot for a week.

Headteacher Nicola McGlynn sent a message assuring parents that, moving forward, no students would be required to partake in gym class barefoot. Instead, kids will be given a pair of school gym shoes to use that day to not miss out on class. The school also offered to financially assist parents who needed help purchasing new, appropriate shoes.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said:

“The health and safety of our children remains our highest priority. We continue to work with parents to ensure their child has the right footwear for physical education lessons.”

What do you think about this school instructing children not to wear shoes during gym class? Do you think their solutions will stick? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends, too