School Forced To Apologise For Offering ‘Bikini Body’ Fitness Classes For Pupils
A school has apologised after offering ‘bikini body’ fitness classes for pupils [Photo: Rex features]
Think about after school activities for kids and you’ll likely think chess, football, debating and so on. But one secondary school has caused outrage for their less than conventional fitness classes.
The Ripley Academy in Derbyshire, for pupils aged 11 to 18, sparked controversy thanks to its posters advertising “bikini body” fitness classes.
The after-school sessions were organised by a supply teacher and prompted criticism from parents, worried the controversial phrase would make impressionable students paranoid about their body image.
“Isn’t it bad enough to have impressionable girls to already be worrying about the state of their bodies?” one parent told The Derbyshire Times.
"I am all for healthy lifestyle but this is sexualising the fitness class. Surely this is not what the Government had in mind for academy schools?”
Gymnastics is a more conventional after school activity for youngsters [Photo: Rex Features]
The school claimed that the classes were organised without the knowledge or permission of the headteacher. However, after the head was alerted, the classes were cancelled and the school quickly issued an apology.
A spokesperson said: “As soon as we were made aware of these after-school classes they were cancelled as they did not reflect the values of the academy.
“We would like to sincerely apologise for any offence caused. They were organised by a supply teacher, who is covering a member of staff on maternity leave, without permission from the principal and this issue will be dealt with internally.
"At The Ripley Academy we do run a variety of extra-curricular activities aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle amongst all of our students and we would never condone any class, or after-school activity, that may put pressure on any young person in terms of their own body image.”
And some parents were quick to back the school in their swift response to the criticism.
“I feel sorry for the school. The classes had been advertised without much thought and had been done so without the school’s blessings,” one parent told The Telegraph.
The news comes as Matalan were criticised recently for offering a padded plunge bra aimed at children.
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