Girls’ physical education classes raise questions

Physical education programs in schools for girls in Saudi Arabia begin next year and many questions have been raised about the mechanism of their implementation, including suitable clothing to be worn during these classes.
School uniforms, which consist of a long-sleeved white blouse with a long colored sleeveless dress, along with trousers under the uniform are adequate for sports, according to the Department of Student Activity in Madinah Al-Munawwara.
Girls will have mainly cardio exercises, as public schools do not include full sports facilities yet. Ghada Mohammed, a high school teacher in Jeddah, told Arab News that the exercise program would officially start in the spring semester of 2018.
Hadeel Al-Shumrani, the first Saudi Zumba trainer and also an actress @Uturn, told Arab News: “This type of uniform will create an obstacle for the student.”
“While performing any kind of exercises or sports training, two-piece clothes are the best choice, which are available everywhere and it is not against Islamic regulations; it is way more comfortable,” Al-Shumrani said.
It is preferable for training suits to be made out of cotton to absorb sweat, and girls also need to pay attention to what kind of sports shoes they wear, such as multi-fitness shoes, depending on the sports class they will take.
Raged Al-Ezzy, a public middle school student told Arab News: “We do morning exercises every day after we finish the national anthem. We sometimes wear training trousers under our school uniforms.”
The program will be gradually implemented in schools by allocating part of the morning schedule and including programs among other student activities.

source: AFP