Swim classesyet to start

THE EDITOR: I am a tutor of a group of home-schooled pupils of primary school age. As such we follow the curriculum for primary schools, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

However, there seems to be much that is lacking with regard to the learn-to-swim programme conducted at public and community pools. Last term’s classes did not begin until the second week of October.

Administrators at the Siparia pool claimed that no chlorine was supplied to facilitate an on-time start-up. I was told that prior to the start of this current term, a directive was sent out to all wardens at public pools that no classes must resume unless and until they are given the word from the higher-ups.

This is all well and good, except that not even the wardens or the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Director of Sport’s swimming instructors were given a reason for the directive. There has been no further word to them since. Does the minister recognise that schools and individuals who avail themselves of the programme are in fact clients who pay the relevant fees, albeit a reasonable sum?

This programme forms an integral part of many schools’ PE programmes, since the value of the life skill of swimming cannot be overstated.

As such I am asking the minister to kindly inform his clients of the status of the programme and a proposed start-up date. I think we all deserve just that bit of common courtesy from him and other officers in the ministry.

SIMON NOEL

via e-mail

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"Swim classesyet to start"

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