swimming classes obligatory ?

benki11

Please help
Hi everybody!
Last week my child brought paper with swimming classes think 2 time per week
45 min per class, outside of primary school facility actually in an private lessure centre !
Price is 6 € per session so 12 € per week that I don t have right now as I am unemployed at a moment !
So my daughter said it is fine she doest have to go but today I got phone call from national primary school principal saying how this is obligatory and every kid unless medical reasons state different have to pay that money!?

Now I am confused as it does t make any sense to me to pay buss to go 3 miles away pay 12€ per week for swimming and school have just built brand new sport facilities that stay empty day after day and instead school forcing kids going play
Pay tennis , pay swimming and pay running at facilities outside the school !

Is this illegal or obligatory for national primary school to do ?
Thank you

benki11

Anyone please

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/Primary/Curriculum

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/jul/01/schoolsports.primaryeducation

ShamoBuc

benki11 wrote: »

Please help
Hi everybody!
Last week my child brought paper with swimming classes think 2 time per week
45 min per class, outside of primary school facility actually in an private lessure centre !
Price is 6 € per session so 12 € per week that I don t have right now as I am unemployed at a moment !
So my daughter said it is fine she doest have to go but today I got phone call from national primary school principal saying how this is obligatory and every kid unless medical reasons state different have to pay that money!?

Now I am confused as it does t make any sense to me to pay buss to go 3 miles away pay 12€ per week for swimming and school have just built brand new sport facilities that stay empty day after day and instead school forcing kids going play
Pay tennis , pay swimming and pay running at facilities outside the school !

Is this illegal or obligatory for national primary school to do ?
Thank you

If a school runs swimming, it is normal for parents to pay for the use of a local swimming pool, instruction and for a bus to get there and back. A child does not have to go. I am quite surprised the principal rang you to say the child must go, When we did swimming in our school, any child that couldn't pay, the school tried to pay for them. If a parent asked for their child not to go to swimming they would be accomadated.

Swimming is not compulsory in primary schools. As part of P.E. Aquatics is taught. This can be taught through water safety lessons etc and of course swimming. A lot of schools have stopped swimming or limited it to the older classes as it can be expensive, especially for a family with 2 or 3 children in the school.

pooch90

Not obligatory, our school doesn't do it at all.

byhookorbycrook

Unlikely any primary school has its own pool so a bus and pool are usual. Is the only reason you don't want your child to go financial? If so , I would ring the school and ask can they help?

huskerdu

Swimming is a part of the school curriculum. Schools are expected to arrange swimming lessons unless they have a good reason not too. Some schools are too far from a pool to make it any way practical.

There are no free swimming pools in Ireland. The school has to pay for the bus and the pool and schools generally don't have the money to cover this and pass it on to parents.

However, I have never heard of a school making it obligatory. I do not think that they have the right to insist that you pay this money. If I were you I would tell the principal this and refuse to pay.
Swimming lessons are a good idea, but the cost of education is high and I sympathise that you cant afford this money.

stripey999

As you are not working, does your child receive free school meals? If so, the school will be receiving a large sum of money called The Pupil Premium for your child. Ask the school to fund the swim from that.

benki11

stripey999 wrote: »

As you are not working, does your child receive free school meals? If so, the school will be receiving a large sum of money called The Pupil Premium for your child. Ask the school to fund the swim from that.

No meals in school

benki11

I think this school trying to help other companies make buisniess money , as they have built brand new P.E court , basketball field, running track , football /gaa field It really looks beautiful and it is huge but nobody use it as our kids have to pay money for private companies for swimming, running and playing tennis !!
A bit strange i would say

ShamoBuc

benki11 wrote: »

I think this school trying to help other companies make buisniess money , as they have built brand new P.E court , basketball field, running track , football /gaa field It really looks beautiful and it is huge but nobody use it as our kids have to pay money for private companies for swimming, running and playing tennis !!
A bit strange i would say

As has been outlined before and is common practice in primary schools, swimming is expensive and incurs expense of paying a bus company to bring them to a pool, the trainers in the pool have to be paid for, renting the pool isn't free either - these expenses are normal. Tennis - a lot of schools ( mine included) charge a fee for a trainer to come and train the children to play tennis.
It is totally normal for parents to be asked to pay for it. Running - not sure what is involved there, no trainer for running in our school or any that I know.

Ring the principal and explain that you would like your child to do the swimming but you cannot afford the expense - the school normally will try and help. Failing that ask for your child to be put into another class while they go swimming - as is the norm in primary schools.

Jimmy Iovine

stripey999 wrote: »

As you are not working, does your child receive free school meals? If so, the school will be receiving a large sum of money called The Pupil Premium for your child. Ask the school to fund the swim from that.

No FSM in Ireland or Pupil Premium.

I think swimming should be compulsory. If it wasn't for my mum, I wouldn't know how to swim. She forked out money each mid-term for us to do swimming lessons in the local pool.

My best-friend in school wasn't as lucky and still can't swim. I've only recently found out that my girlfriend can't swim either. I'll have to teach her.

There are many things wrong with the English curriculum but they are invested in making sure that children can swim.

A few children from my class can't swim the required 25m and are being taken out later in the year for 'booster' sessions so they meet the requirements.

By the end of key stage 2 (age 11), pupils should be taught to swim unaided for a distance of at least 25 metres, using recognised strokes, on their front and back, and demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

huskerdu

stripey999 wrote: »

As you are not working, does your child receive free school meals? If so, the school will be receiving a large sum of money called The Pupil Premium for your child. Ask the school to fund the swim from that.

Sorry but the school does not get a large sum of money called the Pupil Premium for each child.

The school gets a very small amount of money per child and has to pay for the electricity, heating, maintenance, toilet roll, waste collection charges, and all costs of running the school building out of it.

benki11

ShamoBuc wrote: »

As has been outlined before and is common practice in primary schools, swimming is expensive and incurs expense of paying a bus company to bring them to a pool, the trainers in the pool have to be paid for, renting the pool isn't free either - these expenses are normal. Tennis - a lot of schools ( mine included) charge a fee for a trainer to come and train the children to play tennis.
It is totally normal for parents to be asked to pay for it. Running - not sure what is involved there, no trainer for running in our school or any that I know.

Ring the principal and explain that you would like your child to do the swimming but you cannot afford the expense - the school normally will try and help. Failing that ask for your child to be put into another class while they go swimming - as is the norm in primary schools.

I still would not understand what is difference of making P.E at beautiful place provided for them by us playing , GAA, football, basketball, tennis (there have their own tennis courts .....etc , then paying private company for same things if not for money , it makes me sad .......
PS
Sport is sport and P.E is P.E

Big Bag of Chips

benki11 wrote: »

Sport is sport and P.E is P.E

Yes, but learning to swim is a life skill that all children should learn, and that can't be taught in school. Our school does swimming lessons in the local pool, and it is invaluable. There are many kids who would never have the opportunity of going to the swimming pool outside of these lessons.

Swimming is part of the PE curriculum. Some schools are lucky enough to be able to avail of local pool facilities. Some aren't.

If you don't want your child to go swimming, that is one issue. If you can't afford to send your child, that is another and one you should speak with the principal about. If you have a problem with other outside sports facilities being used rather than the school ones, then go along to your next Parents Association meeting and raise your concerns there.

sadie06

Why twice a week? I have never heard of this, and considering the time involved in getting there, having the session, getting ready and returning, I'd imagine twice a week would be disruptive to learning.

maryk34

In our school when the note comes home for swimming etc it always states that if parents have difficulty paying they should speak to the Principal in the strictest of confidence. I'm sure you are not the only parent in this situation. Maybe suggest this at the next Parents Assoc meeting