Schools 'failing' over swimming

Primary schools have been criticised for failing to give students basic swimming lessons.

Water Safety New Zealand said yesterday that many of New Zealand's 3000 primary schools failed to run any swim courses. Earlier research suggested only 20 per cent of students could swim 200m when they left primary school.

It said many teachers lacked the skills and confidence to teach students to swim.

"It is a tragedy, not waiting to happen, it is happening already," said Water Safety marketing manager Chris Robinson.

"Until we can find the funding or people wake up and realise the importance of the issue, it is going to continue that way," he said.

A survey of primary schools on their basic water safety and swim programmes achieved only a 40 per cent response.

Although many of the respondents had an aquatics programme, Water Safety assumed many of those who failed to respond did not, Mr Robinson said.

Many schools which wanted to deliver learn-to-swim programmes were not getting encouragement from higher up the educational chain, he said.

The Education Ministry stance that children must "have the opportunity to experience aquatics" did not help.

"Take that for what it is. It is an open-ended empty statement."

Mr Robinson said Water Safety wanted children to learn basic swimming and survival skills in an effort to reduce the annual drowning toll of about 150 and increase the enjoyment of the country's aquatic environment.

He said more than half the drownings in New Zealand were "immersion accidents" where people did not intend to get into the water.

"All we want is for those kids to swim confidently and competently.

"The foundation skill for any kind of aquatic environment or activity is being able to swim and survive in the water," he said.

"In a perfect world, learning to swim would be a compulsory component of the school curriculum."

Mr Robinson said Water Safety was funded by the Lotteries Grants Board and although it was endorsed by the Government, it received no direct Government funding. He said parents needed to ensure schools taught children to swim.

- NZPA