Parish pays to keep school pool open for extra weeks
A PARISH has stepped in to provide the money for a school swimming pool to be used more after the Education Department cut its hours.
Since 2013, many primary schools, including St Martin's, have had their pool opening times cut to just the 12 weeks of the summer term to save money.
But with 530 children – and 35 more expected next year – head teacher Cate Mason said the children were only getting one lesson a week.
'I felt that the children should have more opportunity to swim than 12 weeks of the year,' she said.
'So I looked for help with funding.'
The douzaine has a couple of members on the school committee and heard this call for support last year.
Senior constable Gerry Tattersall said the parish had happily supplied the £2,500 needed for the extra four weeks, as part of the parochial education funding.
'It is so sensible,' he said. 'We live on an island, so every child should have the opportunity to swim.'
