Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) today released disturbing findings from a recently conducted national survey of learn to swim providers, that are of significant concern.
This new information confirms conclusions in a report released in December indicating the ability of New Zealand children when it comes to basic swimming and water safety skills is declining.
WSNZ General Manager, Matt Claridge states "we already know that changes to the school curriculum and reduced funding have resulted in a decrease in the quality of traditional school based learn to swim. Subsequently the swimming ability of our youth is falling to alarming levels. The flow on effect of this is an increased emphasis on private tuition".
"The latest study into the learn to swim industry clearly demonstrates that at present, the private sector is not in a position to address this decline. This compounds the current situation of ensuring our children have adequate opportunities to develop the core life skill of being able to swim and survive. However, over recent years, the industry has supported development when and where it could impact."
This statement is supported by the fact that 54% of the country's swim schools are oversubscribed and have extensive waiting lists. The balance of swim schools are operating on average at 73% of capacity.
Claridge continues: "any further decline in school based delivery will have potentially irretrievable consequences, such as an increasing drowning toll if New Zealand children do not develop basic water safety skills like being able to float and move. It seems illogical that all children in New Zealand do not, and as we now know, cannot learn to swim, even if they wanted to."
The findings add real weight to WSNZ's appeal to Government and its Ministries to consider the priority and level of funding provided to schools for this area of education.
"WSNZ firmly believe that school based delivery is the most appropriate channel for the development of fundamental water safety skills in New Zealand. We will continue to advocate for Government to develop a plan that encourages and supports schools, and that learning to swim outcomes once again, become a compulsory component of the Primary Curriculum".
Additional information in the research indicates a strong bias towards European New Zealanders accessing private tuition, comprising 76% of the client base at private facilities.
"This affirms our belief that certain sectors of society are missing out when it comes to learning to swim. Maori and Pacific Islanders are over represented in drowning statistics yet they make up a small percentage of the private learn to swim market. Socio economic issues are likely to be responsible for this but it again emphasises why the school based system is most appropriate as it has the ability to provide access for all".
Further points of interest from the research include 89% of the industry being aligned with WSNZ's Swim For Life initiative and the goals that have been set i.e. that it is very important that our children have the ability to swim 200m confidently and competently by the age of 12. Tragically, the number one issue is getting children in the water as there is limited access to it.
Claridge concludes "we can't have School pools closing down anymore; we can't accept that council and private providers will be able to manage an increase in demand for learning to swim in schools and we can't allow New Zealand children to grow up without basic water safety skills."
"WSNZ are forecasting that if the current situation is allowed to continue unchallenged, the nation must be prepared for a return to drowning levels experienced in the 1980's when we could expect between 150-180 drowning deaths per annum as opposed to the current annual average of 108 (last five years)."
