Mandated Swimming?

I usually go for the period thing but, tbh, what might me more beneficial for you is to talk to someone about your insecurities, and learn to work through it? Sorry I'm not much help, but tbh it's better to 'face your fears' ....(?)

I usually go for the period thing but, tbh, what might me more beneficial for you is to talk to someone about your insecurities, and learn to work through it? Sorry I'm not much help, but tbh it's better to 'face your fears' ....(?)

what might me more beneficial for you is to talk to someone about your insecurities, and learn to work through it? Sorry I'm not much help, but tbh it's better to 'face your fears' ....(?)

I would like to "face my fears" however i really can't, the people in my class are those kind that speak about things like this for weeks on end and disobey orders from superior authority in the school.

Hello at my school, swimming is mandated and all pupils must take part or their parents will be notified and you will suffer consequences for example doing bookwork for the double period. I am insecure about my body and considering I am the skinniest person in my class, I am not comfortable about being that exposed in front of my classmates (Males only, the females swim after the males have finished the block). Is there anyway that I can be pardoned from swimming, i asked my parents to phone in however they are not willing to and believe it is a "Petty Excuse" and I should do swimming. Can anyone think of anything, preferably a law or civil right stipulation so that I can be pardoned by the law rather than my principles otherwise I shall get in trouble for not doing Physical Education. Thanks in advance.

Have a great day and please reply below, I am running out of ideas.

wear something like this:

, that way they can't see your torso and belly

I am self-conscious for a variety of reasons, so when swimming came around I was too scared to do it. So I didn't - I got out of it through saying I was injured and unable to, however eventually I told my mum and she just phoned in for me. (This was in Year 9 - Year 10/11 I didn't do PE at all)

However, I do believe it would've been beneficial for me in the long run to have just done swimming - then I wouldn't have been the 'unusual' one that didn't and, honestly, people don't actually care an awful lot about your body. Honestly, as teenagers, almost everyone is self-conscious, and more than likely they're all too preoccupied with how they look to bother looking at how you look.

Isn't there a legal clause I could invoke to pardon me from this activity, thanks in advance.

These aren't excuses however rather actual concerns and this is something I have been pardoned for before when I was really depressed and just felt everything was not worth doing. At that point I developed this and I really don't want to swim. My parents forced me to swim for 6 years in swimming lessons and a swimming club even though I didn't want to. I don't want to now, if I do things may just go back to the way they were. It was thanks to members of my class that I started to develop this. I will not be swimming, no matter what is said. I have a reason not to partake in the activity however I have an amazing school record and this would tarnish it so I would rather be able to be pardoned, stay happy and not be in trouble rather than having to refuse.

I really feel for you. I also had a hard time at school and PE was particularly hard because if you're being teased or bullied or excluded in any way by your peers the last thing you want as a teenager is to be half undressed in front of the unfriendlies. All I can suggest if you really want a chance to be pardoned is to talk to the support staff at your school (I'm assuming you have some kind of student support service there?) and tell them that this is really affecting your mental health, because it sounds like it is. Explain your history of depression and that you really don't feel able to engage with this activity without it having a severe impact on your health and wellbeing. There's a difference between being a little self-conscious like most teenagers are and having the kind of reaction you're having to the idea of swimming in front of your classmates.

Thanks, you understood. At our school we have a "Pastoral Team"/"Guidance Department" who deals with this however the main problem is it all involves my parents. I have spoken to them about this, they said my parents would need to phone or go into school and provide a justified description however that can't happen. When I was depressed, I done my hardest to keep my parents from finding out as they would just fuss about it and really it would do no good and it worked. So if I get my parents involved now, then I will have to reveal this and all of the other medical problems I feel inside. About 6 months ago, there was those days almost every day in fact where I would go to school early and just sit and cry alone and contemplate whether life was really worth it. If my parents get involved now then they will be disappointed that I didn't tell them.

Thanks, you understood. At our school we have a "Pastoral Team"/"Guidance Department" who deals with this however the main problem is it all involves my parents. I have spoken to them about this, they said my parents would need to phone or go into school and provide a justified description however that can't happen. When I was depressed, I done my hardest to keep my parents from finding out as they would just fuss about it and really it would do no good and it worked. So if I get my parents involved now, then I will have to reveal this and all of the other medical problems I feel inside. About 6 months ago, there was those days almost every day in fact where I would go to school early and just sit and cry alone and contemplate whether life was really worth it. If my parents get involved now then they will be disappointed that I didn't tell them.

\You said if you don't do swimming you had to do book work. Why don't you just do the bookwork? Thats what I would have done.
Im so lucky that my school never had to do swimming.