A row has broken out over mixed-sex swimming lessons at a middle school with a majority of Asian children.

Conservative Councillor Arshad Hussain presented a petition to Scotchman Middle School bearing 257 signatures calling for an end to the sessions.

The school's headteacher, Marya Mahony, said she was surprised at the move, as the governing body, which includes Asian parents, voted for mixed swimming lessons last year.

But parents feel strongly that their sons and daughters should not be taught to swim in the same class, said Coun Hussain (Toller).

"This is an issue of great cultural and religious importance to many of the parents and we feel that it is only right the school should adopt a sympathetic attitude to the wishes of the majority," he said.

"The holding of mixed-sex swimming sessions is a prime example of where both schools and the council could and should respond more sympathetically to the wishes of parents, and try to better understand cultural and religious differences."

Coun Hussain said he hoped the staff and governors at Scotchman would now ban the sessions.

Mrs Mahony said the governing board voted for mixed sessions last year. There was a 25-minute walk each way to the pool and the governors had felt it to be a waste of resources to double-up the journeys.

Since then three parents had written expressing their opposition, which meant the matter was up for discussion again at the next governors' meeting in December.

"I was quite surprised. We take pride in the fact that we listen to our parents in this school."

A spokesman for Bradford Council's Education Depart-

ment said the authority had not been approached by Coun Hussain or anybody else over the lessons.

"Schools are advised to take account of parents' views and concerns on all cultural matters and this would obviously include policies on single-sex swimming classes," she said.

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