With our uniform like most likely people will have to wear like either leggings or short skirts. And with us it would be better if we had like more like thicker uniforms, stuff that go all the way down, not like skorts and stuff like that.
In our religion, we're not supposed to be showing as much skin as we need to, so it would just be better if we like have the same rules as we would have in our religion and our PE kit so that we feel more comfortable doing the stuff that we like, while like looking right at the same time.
I feel like it would have been more better if it was more modest and if our PE kits were actually long sleeves. As we're playing football this term, my hijab has actually fell off many times, so I feel like it would have just been more better if I could actually just have a one piece hijab to keep on my head so I can play and not get distracted and worry about my hijab falling off my head.
So there's like three benches where everyone can, like almost get changed in front of each other, or there is like cubicles on the side which do have showers in, but we don't really use them, but that's like a good opportunity for people if they don't like, if they don't feel comfortable, they can just use the cubicle.
I feel like a lot of people, because we have like, in our changing rooms there's like a bit and it's like the toilets and then there's the showers. We don't use the showers so then there's always like a load of people who try to change in the showers, like away from other people or people who just come, like underneath their school clothes, they'll wear their PE top.
Yeah or some people even put their like PE tops, like over their jumpers and their school shirts because they don't want to get changed and they think it just like makes them uncomfortable getting changed in front of all these other people.
I actually really enjoy doing sports. I also really like communicating with other people and also getting along with other people that aren't in my friend group.
I just would like to see a lot of confidence growing in girls, and a lot of girls willing to obviously take PE further.
Sort of like, like a barrier of embarrassment that should be like just broken, because, at the end of the day, it's a sport that everyone should take part in. It's just an opportunity that everyone should use.
Video Summary
This video explores how religious beliefs and modest dress considerations may have an impact on girls’ taking part in sport in and out of school. In it, girls discuss issues around sports kit and privacy. This video could be used in conjunction with that on PE kit.
Teacher Notes
Use the video to suit your teaching needs, whether with a whole class or smaller groups, as a basis of, support or follow-up to discussion. It can also be used to feed in to related curriculum learning about respect, diversity, healthy lifestyles, mental health and wellbeing and physical activity. Ensure you have read the safe teaching and learning guidance before using the video in class.
Depending on individual school, cohort or age group, pupils may want to view this video in a single sex group, to enable a more open discussion of the issues raised. Alternatively, you may want to initiate discussion in a single sex group and then discuss the issues raised in a mixed group.
Suggestions for activities and discussion
• Before viewing the video, discuss why some people might not feel comfortable wearing PE kit. Encourage them to think about culture and religion as well as other modesty considerations. Which other sports might be impacted by this (e.g. swimming)?
• Discuss why wearing a hijab and covering up is significant for Muslim women and girls. Highlight why this might be challenging when doing PE or sport. If there are Muslim girls within the class who are willing to discuss their own experiences, encourage them to share these.
• What about your school’s approach to PE? (e.g. kit, changing provision etc.) Might it cause modesty concerns – for Muslim girls but also for others?
• How could PE generally be more inclusive of everyone? Ask pupils to design the ideal PE kit for girls in their school, considering design issues around religion, culture and modesty about one’s body more generally.
• You could also highlight sports brands which include specific kit for Muslim women, and how this can make a difference to inclusive participation.
According to reports from the Youth Sport Trust
o Only 1 in 4 girls aged 11-13 feel confident in their PE kit, a drop from 65% aged 7-8.
o 58% of girls want more PE kit options compared to just 29% of boys.
