By THERESA GARNER
Water safety campaigners have been left without a big-name sponsor as they embark on an ambitious goal to have all children able to swim 200m by the time they get to high school.
Lotto, which sponsored the two-week introductory swim event "Lotto Take the Plunge" for eight years,
has decided against sponsoring the new Swim for Life promotion aimed at reducing the drowning rate.
Lotteries Commission spokeswoman Flora Gilkison said Swim for Life required the support of many organisations and did not offer the opportunity for Lotto to have the lead branding role.
Water Safety New Zealand has only enough funds to start the programme in eight of the 17 regional sports trusts geographic areas.
The executive director of Water Safety NZ, Alan Muir, said he was disappointed by Lotto's decision.
"We thought it would have given them a far greater exposure in the community," he said.
The number of children taking part in Lotto Take the Plunge each January had levelled off at 11,000 a year, including some repeat learners who did no other swimming throughout the year.
Water Safety NZ decided to adopt a programme based around schools that would run throughout the year, Mr Muir said.
"We won't be able to market it as strongly as we would have liked to."
Lotto continues to sponsor the nationally recognised Swimsafe "teach the teachers" programme managed by Swimming New Zealand and which will be a key part of Swim For Life.
Mr Muir said the aim of Swim For Life was for all children aged 12 to be able to swim 200 metres confidently.
"We realise this is not something that will happen overnight ... we will have to be committed for a significant period," he said.
While many adults may baulk at the idea of covering four lengths of an Olympic-size pool, water safety experts say they have set the bar at a necessary level.
"If you can swim 50m it's not as likely that you can swim 200m, but if you can swim 200m you can probably carry on, and swim another 200m and swim to shore if you are caught in the ocean," said Water Safety NZ project manager Brendon Ward.
Water Safety NZ has contracted eight regional sports trusts, as part of the Swim For Life programme, to analyse swimming programmes of schools in their regions and to develop plans for each school.
"Some school lessons are merely a water experience exercise," Mr Ward said. "Many of these sessions may need to be refocused to put the emphasis on learning to swim." He hoped Water Safety NZ would be able to contract the other regional trusts, and survey all by next summer.
The eight regional sports trusts involved so far are Sport Northland, Counties Manukau Sport, Sport Waikato, Sport Bay of Plenty, Sport Hawkes Bay, Sport Wellington Region, Sport Tasman and Sport Canterbury/Westland.
A report on the swimming skills of year six students by Water Safety NZ and the Ministry of Education shows that water skills are generally high, but indicated areas of concern such as the lack of up-to-date teacher training about swimming instruction in schools,
Year six students generally met the expectations of Water Safety NZ, which included having water confidence, being able to keep afloat and tread water, and being able to swim.
Fewer children than expected knew about safety around deep and moving water.
Children from poorer schools didn't perform as well, which was attributed to the lack of parental help and the lesser likelihood of children attending private lessons.
Schools which consider their students can swim well attribute it to the commitment and skill level of their teachers, the frequency of their swimming programmes, the quality of their swimming facilities and positive attitudes by parents.
Barriers identified by other schools included a need for professional development for their teachers, inadequate pool facilities or infrequent access to a pool, lack of parental support, lack of enthusiasm by students and the need to focus on other areas of the school curriculum.
Swimming lessons
* Year 6 children who can swim 50m: 46 per cent
* Year 6 children who can swim 200m: 23 per cent
* Year 6 children who can swim at all: 96 per cent
* Schools which have their own pool: 83 per cent.
* Schools which say their school pool is not deep enough for years 4 to 6: 33 per cent
Source: Water Safety New Zealand/Ministry of Education
By THERESA GARNER
Water safety campaigners have been left without a big-name sponsor as they embark on an ambitious goal to have all children able to swim 200m by the time they get to high school.
Lotto, which sponsored the two-week introductory swim event "Lotto Take the Plunge" for eight years,
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