Sending Ballasalla pupils to the National Sports Centre (NSC) rather than the Southern pool has been for swimming lessons will save money, the Education Minister insists.

Daphne Caine was responding to a question from Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse, at the House of Keys on Tuesday who asked why Ballasalla pupils will soon travel to the NSC for swimming lessons.

She explained that a review of swimming lessons in the island’s primary schools began in April last year which has allowed for the reallocation of pool space.

Mrs Caine said: ‘These changes will enable the swimming teacher resources to be maximised with a number of schools benefitting from an additional swimming teacher to work with those children who require greater help and support to become competent swimmers.’

The changes will begin in September this year with the swimming provision at Ballasalla and Laxey being transferred from regional pools to the NSC.

She said moving swimming lessons to the NSC for Ballasalla pupils was due in part to the increase pupil numbers and it would cost the department an additional £4,685 to continue using the Southern pool.

Mrs Caine said: ‘The reason we had a review of the swimming provision was because of changing numbers across the primary schools.

‘There has been, overall, a big reduction in the numbers in primary schools but in Ballasalla the numbers have actually gone up.

‘This is simply a way of the department operating more efficiently. The new timetable will reduce the number of bus journeys to facilitate lessons for Ballasalla and will have an additional teacher with more pool time.’

Mrs Caine told the house two year groups can travel on the bus which will mean four journeys instead of eight.

She said the changes as a whole in swimming provision will result in 1,700 fewer bus journeys with savings of up to £80,000.