Read, Write And Swim, Claim Swimming NZ

Swimming New Zealand believes young lives may be at risk because of a chronic lack of pool space in this country.

The vision of Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) is for every New Zealander to have the opportunity to swim to their potential.

Therefore SNZ is greatly concerned with the survey into the learn to swim industry just released by Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) which found that children do not currently have adequate opportunities to develop the core life skill of being able to swim and survive.

“We are very concerned that the WSNZ survey found that 54 percent of the country’s swim schools are oversubscribed and have extensive waiting lists,” said SNZ’s General Manager Stakeholder Services, Veronica Garrett.

“A lot of parents are trying to do the right thing and involve their children in water safety and swimming lessons, however too often classes are fully booked.

“This is very frustrating for both the swim schools and the parents.

“Until the fundamental issue of a lack of pool space is addressed, the private sector is not in a position to ensure all New Zealanders swim to their potential.”

SNZ believes a partnership approach involving community and school-based learn to swim programmes could play an important role in filling this need in the interim.

Garrett agrees with WSNZ that school based delivery is an appropriate channel for the development of fundamental water safety and learn to swim skills in New Zealand.

“We also support the collective efforts of the learn to swim sector in identifying that learning to swim outcomes once again become a compulsory component of the Primary Curriculum.”

Garrett concludes that swimming industry feedback indicates that children in New Zealand need to learn to read, write and swim.

“Learn to swim is not a leisure activity – it is a life skill that takes time to learn. Skills need to be built on year by year. It is a life skill unparalleled by any other that inevitably leads to opportunity and greater safety.”