The latest data from Royal Lifesaving shows lives are at risk through falling swimming standards across Australia.
For an island, water loving nation where more than 100 people drowned in the past summer, the statistics are alarming. For example, 48% of children leaving primary school can’t swim 50 metres. Not that 50metres is enough. Nor can they float, scull or tread water for two minutes.
Carlile doesn’t teach treading water, not that there is anything wrong with it. However, it is a harder skill than sculling or floating and requires more energy.
If a child is in trouble in the water the best steps are to stay afloat and move towards (or wait for) help using the least amount of energy possible.
This is why great technique is an important safety skill. The better your technique the longer you can swim before you fatigue.
A child in trouble in a rip who can only swim 50metres is not safe. While you can never be totally safe in and around water the ability to swim 400 metres with great technique will help.
But lessons are not available to everyone and at times we as parents can get a false sense of our children’s ability.
Australians not meeting the basic benchmarks
You can listen to Carlile’s Chief Operating officer and Australian Swim School’s Association board member Jon Haker discussing the research findings with the ABC here.
Sadly, the research revealed one in ten Australian children will never have a swimming lesson, for most of those that do, formal lessons cease by age eight.
The national swimming benchmark for a 17-year-old is to be able to swim 400 metres continuously.
If most children finish swimming lessons at age 8 their skills, technique and endurance will regress, and the majority won’t meet the standard at 17.
Sadly, schools can also only do so much given a busy curriculum and the need for regular swimming lessons.
The research shows 31% of schools are not offering learn to swim programs.
In some cases, those that do offer only education. Such as swim between the flags. Rather than actual in water lessons.
Swimming is Australia’s most successful Olympic sport, yet one if four schools no longer have a swimming carnival. Where they do, 50% of children don’t participate.
Lost lessons
During COVID there were more than 10million missed swimming lessons, sadly these latest figures show we continue to fall behind, putting lives at risk.
While formal swimming lessons are not the only factor in being safer in and around water, they are the first step. Wherever your child swims please think twice before stopping.
Carlile joins Royal Life Saving in calling for a structured government approach to make swimming lessons much more assessable.
This should include more access through schools, financial support for disadvantaged Australians and a coordinated effort to provide more aquatic infrastructure across the country.
