I went with Michael's class to the swimming pool today. I thought it was quite an upheaval to have all Year 3 and 4 children take swim lessons for two weeks. It turns out that it is a requirement of the National Curriculum that all school children learn to swim by age 11. I found this information on the Department of Education website (http://www.education.gov.uk/):
"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). It is up to primary schools to decide when, and at what point they wish to teach this... Within the law, parents do not have a right to withdraw their children from this statutory element of the National Curriculum."I find the phrasing "do not have a right" very different from what I'd see in the US. The role of government is quite different-- greater trust that decisions are being made for the greater good.
At the pool, the swim instructors were all young, dedicated and looked like they walked out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad. Uncanny. It was nice for me to see Michael's swimming take shape. He is in the middle group (blue team) of kids who can swim short distances without an aid.
On our way back, Michael and I sat together on the top deck of the bus. You can see so much from up high. The River Dee was sparkling and quite breathtaking, especially as the backdrop to the occasional farm or church (or even Church Farm, which we passed).
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