Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
SNP councillors wade into the argument over kids’ swimming lessons
Opposition councillors campaigning to reinstate primary school swimming lessons in North Lanarkshire have criticised a decision not to debate the issue at a council meeting earlier this month.
SNP members Fiona Fotheringham and Paul Di Mascio had attempted to lodge a motion calling for free, funded lessons to be provided for Primary Five pupils, beginning in this academic year – but it was not tabled after being deemed inadmissible.
They say the grounds for refusal of their request for all local youngsters to learn swimming and water safety were that teaching the skills are not considered a specific responsibility of the local authority, along with further difficulties relating to Covid restrictions and insufficient available pool time.
Councillor Di Mascio called it “a slap in the face to young people and their parents”, with depute group leader Councillor Fotheringham saying that teaching the skills is “a moral and social responsibility” – but council leader Jim Logue said the proposal would be “totally unworkable”.
Airdrie South representative Councillor Di Mascio had previously proposed a successful motion for swimming lessons to be provided for all P5 classes across North Lanarkshire, but no funding for the policy has been in place since 2018.
The rejected motion for the meeting was prompted by a number of drowning deaths across Scotland during the summer, and had called for Covid-safe lessons to be implemented in this school year.
It outlined “the importance of children being taught basic life skills and water safety through school swimming lessons” and widespread support for learning the “essential life skill”; and proposed: “Council has the opportunity to ensure that all children get the chance to learn how to spot dangers [and] keep themselves safe around water, safely help others in danger and learn to swim.”
SNP group members say Provost Jean Jones, who determines whether motions can be accepted onto the council agenda, concluded that the matter was not a responsibility of the authority.
They were informed that the authority does “not [have] the capacity and ability to create sufficient pool time to accommodate the full P5 cohort, especially with ongoing Covid restrictions” and that the policy would mean “diminished flexibility for teachers to offer a wide variety of sports options during PE”.
Councillor Fotheringham said: “This is extremely disappointing and highlights the ignorance towards the importance of learning to swim, especially after the tragic drownings over the summer.
“North Lanarkshire should have a moral and social responsibility to keep our youngsters safe and for the Provost to say that it is not the council’s responsibility is deplorable.
“It seems that Covid is being used as a convenient barrier to prevent children from accessing swimming lessons – pool space remains available and teaching staff are ready to welcome P5 youngsters back now that restrictions have lifted.”
Councillor Di Mascio said: “I cannot get my head around the refusal to permit this motion being added to the agenda. The reasons were all quite simply debating points to be discussed on the day.
“[There are] glaringly obvious dangers facing our young people if they do not learn these important life-saving skills at a relatively young age; and when mental health, exercise and wellbeing should be at the forefront of our minds, it should be incumbent upon us to support [them].”
Council leader Mr Logue responded by calling the opposition’s statement “a disgraceful attack on the first female Provost in North Lanarkshire’s history”.
He said: “Officers have advised that the motion was totally unworkable as a result of the pressure it would place on hardworking staff who are still operating under government guidelines on Covid-19.
“Instead of attacking other councillors and proposing unworkable solutions, perhaps the SNP in North Lanarkshire could speak to their colleagues in Edinburgh and ask them to provide the council with the funding it needs.
“Surely this should be their top priority if the council has a ‘moral responsibility’ to provide the services they’re asking for.”
This is extremely disappointing ... especially after the tragic drownings over the summer