Lessons are important to primary kids

I AM writing in response to the decision by Dundee City Council to scrap swimming lessons for primary school children.

I would like to express my utter disbelief at the move.

Swimming is a life skill and all children should have the opportunity to learn – not just those whose parents can afford lessons.

Given the level of poverty in Dundee I would suggest the numbers now going to miss out will be pretty high.

These lessons are also a valuable social tool, teaching children how to interact with each other in and alongside the water, and the learning of water safety speaks for itself.

For those children that excel academically they get “their moment” every day in class, but the children who excel at swimming will never get that chance to show all their peers how good they are – which to a primary school child is extremely important.

It’s another example of how the children of Dundee are being treated as second-class citizens at a time when they should all be given every chance in life, no matter their social circumstances.

Lynsey McDonald.

I WAS astonished to read that Dundee City Council is to stop offering swimming lessons for primary school pupils.

The local authority claims that the way lessons are given out is not “efficient” and that some youngsters can spend two hours away from classes to spend 20 minutes in the pool.

I find it hard to believe that pupils are regularly spending an hour and 40 minutes travelling to and from a swimming pool.

But if this is taking place frequently, I would argue that is down to bad organisation from staff. The council at least owes the children and their families a decent excuse.

E.W.