TEACHERS have urged that parents' consent for children to attend gym classes be accompanied by medical advice. The Professional Teachers' Union appeal follows the death of a Tai Kok Tsui Primary Five pupil, Chan Ching-yee, who had a congenital heart problem, during a physical education lesson on Wednesday. The union said the Education Department should require parents to specify on the consent form their children's physical condition, such as whether they had medical problems. 'Teachers are not supposed to have medical expertise and they can hardly assess the suitable intensity of exercise for individual pupils,' the union said. 'Including the health condition could enable teachers to seek expert advice on what they should do for pupils with illnesses.' The present practice is to require medical certificates for pupils wanting to be exempted from gym classes. The Education Department yesterday promised to consider improvements to the consent forms and safety guidebook but ruled an urgent revision was not necessary. Ching-yee, 11, suffered from Ebstein's anomaly, which meant she had an irregular heart beat. The school allowed her to attend gym classes with her parents' consent. Yesterday, teachers and pupils held morning prayers at the school to mourn her loss. Director of Education Helen Yu Lai Ching-ping yesterday urged parents to use the department's new Student Health Service for health screening. The scheme covers primary pupils.
