And here we are in 2022 and they are still on about this on the news. Not enough kids know how to swim

This is a concern. I always thought swimming lessons were a part of tge school curriculum. I know we did them for phys ed, my kids did too

It is concerning the amount of children who do not know how to swim. Though it is no surprise when local pools now cost a small fortune to take the children/family

I know of one child who never finished learning to swim as well has he should as every time he goes in the pool he gets an ear infection.
I know another one who has been taught to swim in a private home pool due to medication allergy The particular medication leeches out of skin and lingers in pool water unless the correct excessively strong chemicals are used.
I have severe coordination problems and go around in circles when swimming. I have also developed a neurological problem and have been advised not to go swimming unless I have somebody beside me the whole time watching me very carefully.

Although my children were taught to swim when they were young, the suddenness of falling into a pond or dam fully clothed will still wreak havoc. Mine didn’t fully appreciate swimming until the next door neighbours had a pool installed and then we couldn’t keep them out of the pool.

One week of swimming is a good start but nowhere near enough to have children that are safe around water.

I didn’t know this so thanks for sharing

This is really informative so thank you for this!

This is great, I’ve contacted a pool in my local area- hopefully my 3yr old can get in.

This article with the suggestion that many swim schools offer free lessons this week, should have been placed some weeks ago. Too late to arrange something now.

I looked into swimming lessons and we just could not afford it. So my 5 year old can’t swim. It wasn’t about prioritising other things. It was just way out of the budget.

The free lessons were so far away that it was going to be out of the budget to travel too them.

It definitely needs to be made available for all kids at no cost.

I’ve just searched the 100km radius of my postcode for the free swimming lessons – there nothing at all for me.
Neither of my 2 kids who are older than 2 could swim when they were under 5. I would have loved to have had them doing swimming lessons before they started the school swimming, but we could not afford it at all. Still can’t afford private lessons for them or our son who is less than 5.
Perhaps if swim schools, instructors and/or the government are really wanting to reduce these statistics, they should be lowering the swimming fees drastically! I honestly don’t know if many families who could afford swimming fees!

I would to put my kids into swimming lessons but at around $90 a month for each child and I have 3 that’s $270 month. I looked at Vac swim which are meant to be cheap though the government at around $7-$25 a child sound good for school holiday swimming but you still have to pay the pool entry at around $5-6 a child and then a parent that’s still for me $200 on pool entry for me

Lessons are around $15 a week give up something to save your child’s life. I know people with pools who don’t send their kids to lessons..and yes they can afford .. these kids don’t know how to swim and they are older than 5..what the article was addressing people who pay for all these other activities but don’t put their kids in swimming lessons..

Why under 5 should be under 12….swimming lessons are so expensive and yes it is a skill for life but I know a lot of people who simply can not afford it….so make it free for set number of weeks each term.

Our swimming lesson just went up to $89 a month
Why can’t the government subsidise swimming lesson!

Scary statistics considering we are surrounddd by water! I wonder what proportion of these kids are from migrant families? Maybe we need to introduce mandatory classes into the school curriculum?