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The Western Australian Government will invest $3.3 million to establish a specialist School of Swimming and Water Safety to deliver vital swimming programs for school students.

Funded as part of the 2024/25 State Budget, the establishment of this specialist school is an endorsement of the 100-year success of the Western Australian Department of Education's current swimming program.

Aiming to benefit 250,000 young Western Australians who access school and vacation swimming lessons each year, the new School of Swimming and Water Safety intends building upon the delivery of VacSwim and in-term school swimming programs, as well as specialist programs for students with accessibility challenges who may not usually participate.

From 2025, the School, which will be led by permanent expert staff supported by seasonal instructors, will deliver high-quality water safety education across Western Australia

Additional training and professional development will be provided to strengthen workforce skills and ensure a culturally responsive learning approach for all students.

A greater focus will also be placed on aligning swimming and water safety programs with the Health and Physical Education curriculum, and integrating them with classroom practices and resources.

More than 220,000 school students are expected to take part in swimming lessons during the 2024 school year, with at least 30,000 more forecast to enrol in summer VacSwim.

Commenting on the initiative, Western Australian Education Minister, Dr Tony Buti stated “as a former VacSwim instructor, I understand that learning to swim and being safe around water are essential skills for every child in WA.

"This State has a 100-year history of school swimming and water safety programs, and this new specialist School of Swimming and Water Safety will strengthen delivery of these important programs.

"It is vital that our schools continue to deliver the comprehensive swimming and water safety programs in Australia to as many students as possible.

"Establishing the school will ensure that resources are strengthened for water safety programs and that accessibility is improved, particularly for children who may not have participated in the past."

Image credit: Shutterstock.

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