The idea
Some local councils, sensibly, allow PARENTS to make the decision about whether or not they can safely manage 2 children in the pool. Parents judge this based on age of children (babies are easier!) depth of pool, obedience of children to parent rules – 'don't go out of your depth' – and swimming ability of child. However some pools decide this all for parents and have a blanket ban on more than 1 child under 5, or 6 or whatever going in with a parent. As a mother of twins this effectively meant that I could not take them swimming in 1 area – though luckily another pool nearby let me in.
Pools have lifeguards and any parent that is NOT looking after a child/children and placing them at risk can be asked to supervise more closely or leave. So why penalise the vast majority of sensible mums and dads by deciding for us what we can do.
Also our local pool says you have to be 18 to take kids swimming – which means 16/17 year old mothers can't take their own baby in. Some older sibling are perfectly sensible and parents should be allowed to decide – or at the very least the limit should be dropped to 16 which is an age where you can get married, have kids, and have a job. But not take someone swimming!
Why is it important?
No child has EVER drowned in a council run swimming pool. Ever. So these new rules were totally unnecessary. Swimming is a healthy, fun activity. Children who do not learn to swim when young are far more likely to be nervous swimmers when older. Children do drown in ponds, lakes etc. Teaching them to swim in the safety of a pool minimises their risk of drowning.