Editorial: Fund swim lessons

Swimming lessons are an important investment

A few weeks ago I attended a swimming event at Memorial Pools.

Children as young as seven competed, some even doing butterfly. And quite a few swam far better than me.

These pools are amazing, not only are they set against the stunning backdrop of the harbour and park but the staff is truly dedicated to teaching people of all ages to swim.

But what amazes me most is the little cost - all my children are members of Tauranga Swimming Club. My youngest has learned to swim for as little as a few dollars a lesson and sometimes gets one-to-one tutorage. My oldest has graduated to squad swimming, still for this small price. Membership means you can use the pools when you want. The facilities at Memorial Park and other similar pools like Greerton show it does not have to be the huge expense of private swimming lessons.

Although learning to swim is a cost, it is a must-have investment. The Bay of Plenty has had the greatest number of drownings this summer, prompting a national safety advocate to start a campaign to save lives. Eight people drowned in the Bay this summer, contributing to a national toll of 35 drownings. The toll was up by four from last summer.

This is tragic. Given all the water in New Zealand - the rivers, lakes and beaches that we enjoy - one would think that swimming and water safety would be top priority for Kiwis but many children and adults cannot swim well enough to save themselves.

My children are also lucky enough to benefit from a school pool but 40 per cent of schools in New Zealand do not have a pool. Twenty per cent of school pools have been closed in the past decade due to expensive upkeep.

In 2012, Education Aotearoa magazine reported that only one-in-five 12 year olds could swim 200m - the minimum survival standard set.

Swimming is part of the physical education curriculum but the Ministry of Education's policy on aquatic education is not prescriptive. Teaching kids to swim to survive is key to reducing our nation's drowning statistics, says Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Matt Claridge

The Ministry could do more to support the Water Safety campaign. I would love to see funded swimming lessons for all children. But the reality is it is down to parents to make sure children learn to swim.