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Every child in the city of Lakeview will be offered free swimming lessons this summer, under a new plan announced by the city council on Monday.
The decision follows a report which found that almost four in ten children leaving primary school in the city could not swim twenty-five metres, the distance that most schools consider the minimum for basic water safety. Swimming lessons at private clubs cost around £8 each, which many families say they cannot afford, especially if they have more than one child.
Under the plan, children aged five to eleven will be able to attend ten free group lessons at any of the city's four public pools during the school holidays. Groups will have no more than eight children, and every teacher will be fully qualified. Parents can book places online from the first of June, or by phone for those who do not use the internet.
The lessons will focus on basic skills first: getting comfortable in the water, floating and kicking. Children who can already swim will join more advanced groups to learn different strokes and how to stay safe in rivers and the sea, which are more dangerous than pools because of currents and cold water.
The plan will cost about £250,000. Half of the money will come from the council's sports budget, and the rest from a local water company.
Council leader Sarah Mensah said the plan was "about safety, not sport". She added: "Every summer we hear tragic stories of children getting into difficulty in water. Learning to swim is a life skill, and no child should miss out because of money." If the scheme is popular, the council hopes to run it again next year and to add free lessons for adults.