CUTS to funding for school swimming lessons have been defended by Ceredigion County Council chiefs.

It follows strong criticism of the local authority’s plans to find savings of around £88,000 from the budgets for swimming pool provision.

They would mean the numbers of primary school children receiving funded swimming lessons slashed by one-third and paid lessons for secondary school pupils ditched altogether.

Aberaeron swimming pool manager Martine Branford has suggested the budgetary cuts would put the lives of local children at risk.

But in a statement, County Hall said that, despite a reduction in centrally-funded swimming lessons for primary and secondary schools, primary school pupils in Ceredigion would still be provided with more than the Swim Wales recommended minimum of 26 hours of swimming instruction throughout a pupil’s primary education.

“With the structured way in which school swimming lessons have been provided in Ceredigion for the last 10 years, the authority has every confidence that primary school children will be given every opportunity to develop vital swimming skills that will contribute towards their general health and well-being,” added a spokesperson.

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