A portable pool has been established in the Bay of Plenty for the first time in a bid to reduce the number of Maori drownings by teaching water survival skills to young rural-based Maori.
Educators at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Kura Kokiri in Welcome Bay welcomed the pool
and said it had significant benefits for the 200 local students and wider community members who would use the pool this term.
The portable pool, brought to the kura by Water Safety New Zealand in partnership with New Zealand Post's ActivePost, can be used by 15 students at one time. It measured 10m by 5m, held 50,000 litres of water and took about nine hours to assemble and fill yesterday.
Deputy principal Ripeka Martin said the pool would have a life changing impact on the school's 80 students.
"This means a lot for us and the wider community. From the school's point of view it means the children have the opportunity to learn valuable water safety skills, gain water confidence and have more appreciation for Tangaroa (god of the sea).