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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to pay for other kids to learn to swim?

284 replies

tomdayleymum · 31/08/2012 12:58

DS about to go into Year 3. Got a letter from school saying that from now til next July Year 3 will be going swimming and please can we have a voluntary contribution of £3.25 per week?

He can swim very well thanks to me paying for him to have private lessons. If other parents haven't bothered (or can't afford) to teach their kids to swim outside of school hours then fine, let the school teach 'em. But I don't want to pay for him to go in school hours when he could do with catching up on his reading instead.

AIBU?

OP posts:
ginmakesitallok · 31/08/2012 12:59

yes yabu

NameChangeGalore · 31/08/2012 13:01

YABU. And you should not be calling yourself Tom Daleys Mum....

cansu · 31/08/2012 13:02

It isn't just about teaching him to swim, it's about taking exercise. Not all PE is football and tennis and running around. I would be pleased for my dc to have this opportunity to do something different for PE lessons.

FourEyesGood · 31/08/2012 13:02

Will he enjoy swimming with his friends? Could he read at home? He may well be able to swim already, but swimming sessions will improve his skills. Parents whose DCs can read very well already probably don't resent your DS having reading time at school; I find it a bit weird that you resent their DCs learning to swim.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 31/08/2012 13:02

Then send him to a private school which doesn't offer swimming. Or don't pay the voluntary contribution.

Swimming is part of the national curriculum, schools have to teach it.

Waitforit · 31/08/2012 13:03

YABU, it's part of the National Curriculum so the school has to offer it.

Unfortunately they don't get funding for it, so they have to cover the cost of transport and instructors. If they don't ask for voluntary contributions then it comes out of school funds. Oh and they are not allowed by law to have those contributions cover children that don't pay - they have to cover it themselves. Withdrawing your child is almost certainly not going to reduce the cost to the school as the bus and the number of instructors needed is going to remain the same.

NovackNGood · 31/08/2012 13:03

You are being sensible and do not need to pay for this as it is part of the curriculum is it not so the schools are meant to provide it.

Feminine · 31/08/2012 13:03

Shock Shock Shock

What a nutter you sound Grin

YABU ....and really, really, mean spirited!

ChaosTrulyReigns · 31/08/2012 13:03

Gosh.

Perhaps your DS would like to go and be invluded with his friebds?

There are mny times in life when those who can't are subsidised by those wjo can. And rightly so.

adeucalione · 31/08/2012 13:03

Well it's a voluntary contribution, so you don't have to pay it.

Alternatively, you could ask that he be excused from swimming lessons altogether. One mum at DS's school did this, and he went into another class - although I used to go in to help, and he always looked a bit sad that he wasn't going swimming.

Fwiw, my DS can swim well but still did the lessons through school - they asked what badges the children had already achieved, put the children into ability groups, and made sure that each came out with new badges/achievements at the end.

workshy · 31/08/2012 13:03

YABU

learning to swim is party of the NC

I couldn't get my DCs into swimming lessons as in my area lessons are set up so they are increddibly difficult to access by working parents so to say parents haven't bothered is ignorant

crazygracieuk · 31/08/2012 13:03

Doesn't the contribution pay for a bus or use of the swimming pool?

Swimming lessons are something that the school had to do.

EllenParsons · 31/08/2012 13:03

Even if he can already swim, a few hours swimming a week is still good practice and good exercise, so YABU.

BikeRunSki · 31/08/2012 13:04

Voluntary...

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 31/08/2012 13:05

If you can provide private swimming lessons, why don't you stop them for the term that he will be swimming with school and use that time to do the extra reading yourself, or hire a tutor?

adeucalione · 31/08/2012 13:06

Although I do think that £3.25 pw is quite expensive - it was only £1 at DS's school, and free at DD's.

whatsoever · 31/08/2012 13:06

I'd have been gutted as a child if my mum asked me to be excused from swimming. It used to be the best day of school! Sad

TeapotsInJune · 31/08/2012 13:07

If you don't want to pay it, don't

RedHelenB · 31/08/2012 13:07

Both dds were excellent swimmers when they went with school - they swam with others or their ability & the learners went in the little pool. So, yes, YABU.

eurochick · 31/08/2012 13:08

YABU. It's exercise. And presumably he isn't yet on a par with Michael Phelps so he still has something to learn. At my primary swimming classes many years ago, we were all split into ability groups, so the non-swimmers were taught to swim and the decent swimmers took life saving and water survival badges, had races, etc. I could already swim but I learned a lot.

5madthings · 31/08/2012 13:09

yabu its a voluntary contribution. its part of the national curriculum and thet font just teach them swimming they also teach them water safety etc. its also part of their pe lessons.

HammerandTongs · 31/08/2012 13:09

YABVU.

CatchTheFox · 31/08/2012 13:10

come on, £3 a week? just pay up and let him go swimming. swimming is fun, remember? if you're so concerned about his reading, hire a private tutor so you can feel smug about that too. i don't see the problem here.

headfairy · 31/08/2012 13:10

yabu... unless £3.25 a week is a struggle for you to pay (which if you've paid for private lessons already I'm assuming it isn't) you sound very mean and tight fisted.

Learning to swim is an essential life skill for children, your small contribution could save lives.

PureMorning · 31/08/2012 13:12

Hmm let him go have fun swimming with his friends

you remember fun right?