LAKE Macquarie City Council has responded to a national report that found almost half of Australia’s 11- and 12-year-old children could not swim 50 metres without stopping, tread water for two minutes, or do a safety jump into deep water.
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Council’s leisure services manager Brad Sutton said the recent Royal Life Saving Australia report contained some worrying findings about children’s ability to achieve the minimum benchmark for swimming and water safety skills.
So council is stepping up its school water safety training programs.
“We want to do everything we can to ensure kids across Lake Macquarie are confident and capable in the water,” Mr Sutton said.
“Council already offers an extensive school-hours water safety training program for schools throughout the city, however, from Term 1 next year it is hoped this will be expanded to provide more opportunities for schools to participate.”
Council is also investigating the feasibility of providing subsidised out-of-school learn-to-swim programs for children in lower socio-economic areas.
“Studies have shown that children from lower income households are less likely to participate in learn-to-swim courses,” Mr Sutton said.
“Working with the Department of Education and local primary schools, we hope to offer these courses at a reduced fee for eligible families and hopefully prompt more parents to get their kids involved.
“The ultimate aim is to reduce the number of drownings in Australia, not just in backyard pools but at the beach and in all other waterways.”
Royal Life Saving Australia data released last week showed 965 Australian children aged younger than five had died from drowning in the past 25 years.
Council’s learn-to-swim programs are developed in conjunction with Royal Life Saving Australia to provide effective, enjoyable programs for children, Mr Sutton said.
The programs are offered at council’s swim centres at Speers Point, Charlestown, Swansea and West Wallsend where more than 24,000 children take part each year.
(Toronto Swim Centre is closed until mid-2019 as council carries out a $6-million renovation of the facility.)
A spokesperson for the council said council was in discussions with the contractors of other council swim centres, including at Morisset, to determine if they would be participating in the program.
Classes are provided across five age categories and eight levels of competency, from basic water familiarisation for babies aged six months and above to advanced swimming skills for children aged five and older.