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Royal Life Saving data shows 20% increase in children’s post-pandemic swimming lessons

Royal Life Saving data shows 20% increase in children’s post-pandemic swimming lessons
January 15, 2023

A new Royal Life Saving Society - Australia special report on learn to swim shows children returning to swimming lessons in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions with an estimated 1.7 million children now participating in classes, a 20% increase on pre-pandemic enrolments.

While an additional 300,000 children are in lessons compared to pre-pandemic levels, the growth is most evident the younger preschool age groups.

However, this growth is not high enough to offset missed lessons in seven-to 12-year-old children meaning at least 100,000 children in late primary school years are unlikely to return to lessons before high school.

A snapshot of swim school enrolments from across the country found that many swim schools are now delivering more lessons and catering for more children than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Swim schools are being resilient and flexible in meeting demand.

Noting that the lack of water safety lessons for those older children heightened the drowning risk this summer, and in the years to come, Royal Life Saving Chief Executive, Justin Scarr stated “the importance of school aged children returning swimming and water safety programs cannot be overstated. It is critical that we have a medium-term national plan to get seven- and 12-year-old children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds back into lessons.”

Significant growth in enrolments of children aged under four may reflect the availability of swimming vouchers for preschool children, particularly in NSW or parental interest in Queensland.

The 2022 National Drowning Report reported a 36% increase in drowning among school aged children (aged five to 14 years) compared to the 10-year average. The last two years have recorded the highest number of school-aged drowning deaths in a decade (since 2011/12). All age groups, except for children under five years, reported an increase in drowning deaths.

Royal Life Saving urges parents and carers to check:

  • Can your child swim 50 metres and float for two minutes without help?
  • For children aged seven to 12 years who may have missed lessons or dropped out and can’t meet these national benchmarks:
  • Get kids back into lessons - enrol at your local swim school or in a vacation program over the summer school holidays
  • Head down to your local aquatic facility to refresh swimming and water safety skills before heading out into other environments this summer - can your child swim 50 metresm?
  • Check to see if you can access sports and learn to swim vouchers that can be used to cover some of the costs of swimming lessons

Royal Life Saving is also urging governments to adopt a renewed focus on swimming lessons for children aged seven to 12 years.

It also feels that it is essential that older children develop vital swimming and water safety skills heading into teenage years and adulthood, noting that these are the children that are most likely to have stopped lessons or missed school programs targeted to primary school children.

Royal Life Saving believes this is a complex problem, that needs a multidimensional approach with a national action plan to address the matter of children having missed out of learning to swim.

The body feels that such an approach should at least include strategies to:

  • Strengthen existing school and vacation programs
  • Increase participation, especially of those most at-risk through targeted programs
  • Promote and track national swimming and water safety benchmarks
  • Increase lifesaving and water safety skills in teenagers
  • Address infrastructure gaps, build and/or upgrade aquatic centres and swim schools

Methods
The survey involved 59 swim schools from across the country (excluding Northern Territory and Western Australia) who provided enrolment data for September 2022. This data was matched to the enrolment numbers for September 2019 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) from those same swim schools. More detailed methods are in the report.

Royal Life Saving acknowledges Belgravia Leisure, The Y, Royal Life Saving member organisations, various councils and swim schools who supported the project.

Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Toll
Royal Life Saving’s Summer Drowning Toll is updated regularly over the summer (1st December 2022 to 28th February 2023).

The website - https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/summer-drowning-toll - includes an analysis of fatal drowning, including a comparison of ‘this time’ last summer, as well as location and activity information.

Related Articles

10th January 2023 - Life Saving Victoria reiterates the importance of supervision as child drowning risk identified

3rd January 2023 - Royal Life Saving releases new online module on communication skills for aquatic industry

24th December 2022 - Aquatic industry braces for a uniquely challenging holiday season

2nd December 2022 - Randwick City and Waverley councils launch Float to Survive initiative to reduce national drownings 

9th November 2022 - More than 500 children lose their lives to drowning over past two decades

2nd November 2022 - Royal Life Saving report shows up to 40% of Australia’s pools may need substantial upgrade or replacement by 2030

21st October 2022 - Royal Life Saving report shows need for nation to catch up missed swimming lessons

20th October 2022 - Swimming Australia announces new strategic partnership with Australian Swim Schools Association

20th September 2022 - Swim schools across the nation to offer free swimming lessons during Learn2Swim

17th September 2022 - Rising drowning toll prompts AUSTSWIM to emphasise importance of educating new swimming teachers

16th September 2022 - 2021/22 drowning toll the highest in more than 25 years

13th September 2022 - Royal Life Saving Society Australia releases new water safety strategy for Townsville community comment

5th August 2022 - Swim It Forward 2022 campaign launched by Swim Australia ahead of peak drowning season

25th July 2022 - Life Saving Victoria raises awareness on this World Drowning Prevention Day

22nd July 2022 - AUSTSWIM to mark World Drowning Prevention Day with discounted courses for new teachers

22nd July 2022 - Key Royal Life Saving research shows drowning risk of dams, ponds and irrigation channels

22nd April 2022 - Royal Life Saving contributes to new research highlighting global drowning prevention

25th March 2022 - Royal Life Saving promotes round table event to address drowning prevention measures in North Queensland

27th January 2022 - UNSW research highlights risk factors behind South Asian migrant beach drownings

22nd January 2022 - Public reminded to observe water safety warnings following spike in NSW coastal drownings

8th January 2022 - Poor adult swimming skills contribute to summer drownings

1st December 2021 - Victorian drowning report reveals tragedies behind highest drowning toll in 20 years

4th November 2013 - Parents value swimming and water safety lessons above other out-of-school activities


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