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Hornery, Sonia to the
Minister for Education
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- Will the Minister consider introducing compulsory swimming lessons into the
school curriculum, given that there has been a 25 per cent increase in drowning
deaths among Australians aged 15 to 24 years in the past year?
- If not, why not?
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Answer -
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- The NSW Department of Education and Communities runs the largest
learn-to-swim program in the Southern Hemisphere, with 100,000 public school
students enrolled to participate each year.
This free program, the
Schools Swimming Scheme
(http:⁄⁄www.sports.det.nsw.edu.au⁄swimming⁄index.htm),
is for students in Years 2 to 6, with students with disabilities and students
in Intensive English Centres encouraged to participate. It is an intensive
two-week program to develop water confidence and provide students with basic
skills in water safety and survival.
Schools are also able to use
swimming and water safety programs offered by other community providers as part
of their sports programs and extra-curricular activities such as school camps
and excursions.
The school curriculum also plays a vital role in
the safety and wellbeing of children in and around water. All students learn
about aquatics and water safety as part of the mandatory Personal Development,
Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum.
Given the size of
the Department's program, it is clear there is almost universal access to
swimming lessons through public schools, but it is ultimately a parent's choice
whether their child accesses this opportunity.
- The current provisions for swimming and water safety education provide
schools with the flexibility to deliver quality swimming and water safety
programs that are manageable and take into account their local circumstances,
resource availability and overall curriculum demands.
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Question asked on 22 November 2012 (session 55-1)
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 130
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Answer received on 17 January 2013
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 132
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