Threat to swimming lessons (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Threat to swimming lessons

7:15am Wednesday 14th February 2007 in News By Peggy Clatworthy

Escalating fees could put an end to swimming lessons for some Tewkesbury school children.

Fees for a weekly lesson for a group of up to 30 children are set to rise from £250 to £360 per term from April.

Next year they could go as high as £450 per term.

Most costs are met by parents, but the payment is voluntary, and Pete Goodger, head teacher of Tirlebrook Primary School explained that by law they cannot exclude a child from any activity because their parents cannot or do not wish to pay for it.

"We cannot leave any children out, so we would have to look at the situation carefully and if became too costly for the school we would have to pull out all together," he said.

He added that legally the school has an obligation to try and ensure that all children can swim at least 25 metres, or one length of the pool by the time they are 11.

"It is particularly important in Tewkesbury, where we are surrounded by so much water, and of course that its what the pool was built for originally," he said.

Cascades manager Andy Noble said that school swimming lessons were heavily subsidised by the borough council, and the increases were designed to make them self funding.

"The break even cost would be £450 per term - even then it is less than £1 per lesson, whilst our private lessons are £3," he said.

He added that they currently have 35 schools having lessons each week, with a large waiting list eager to take the place of any that drop out.

"We do not feel that the local authority should be funding swimming lessons, they should be funded by the county council," he added.