Norfolk swimming teachers fear less children are 'water-ready' as more cut back due to price rises
1/3 children don't know how to swim according to Teachers Association, despite 96% parents agreeing that it's a necessary life-skill
One in three children, don't know how to how to swim and instructors in Norfolk fear this could get worse, with many being forced to cut back, as prices rising
These figures come Swimming Teachers Association who found that this is happening despite 96% parents agreeing that it's a necessary life-skill.
While the rising cost of living means teachers are now having to pay around double what they previously did for chlorines tablets and oil.
Hannah Cremin is a instructor, based in North Pickenham near Swaffham.
She told us customers aren't the only feeling the pinch: "Put chlorine in the pool that used to cost around £30 for a big tub of tablet, that is now £60 to £70.
"Oil to heat the pool, it was was £300 for 500 litres, it's now up to £500.
"People don't want to put their children in cold pools, they want to put them in nice warm pools".
"Not putting the prices up means you have to have your lessons full. Before you would go there's three kids in this class, we'll just tick along- it's not a problem.
"But now because of the prices of everything, you have to now take in account the cost of heating oil, the cost of the chlorine, cleaning products and that's before you get onto the staff costs that's there as well- so you have to go, this class needs to have six in".
Ms Cremin went on to say that others need to play their part to ensure that children are water ready: "The schools have got to put more lessons on for them. Unfortunately due to the limited pool time that people get at school, they'll get a term of swimming which is six weeks, for half an hour with a whole class of school kids in.
"They are not going to learn to swim in that period of time, there needs to be something in place for children to be able to have swimming lessons regardless".
She concluded by telling us the current picture is really worrying: "I was a lifeguard for a lot of years, it's so dangerous when kids are just unaware of how it do it.
"Unfortunately it does just fall down to the parents and how they feel about it. So we have a lot of parents that are so nervous of swimming themselves, because they never swam, that they then bring their child and they are so nervous and feel like they can't do it, because of that.
"Or you have the flip-side of parents who feel that it's not really a life-skill, it's fine they will get it at school".