Royal Life Saving report finds 48% fall short in Year 6

Royal Life Saving Australia found 48% of Year 6 students cannot swim 50 metres and tread water for two minutes by the end of primary school.

The result appears in the latest Children’s Swimming & Water Safety Skills Report from Royal Life Saving Australia.

According to Royal Life Saving Australia, swimming 50 metres and treading water for two minutes is the National Benchmark for Year 6.

The report also found many children start lessons young but stop between ages seven and nine before reaching that benchmark.

Those findings have renewed concern in Australia, where children grow up around beaches, rivers, lakes and backyard pools.

Aquabliss Willowdale opens in July

Aquabliss Willowdale, a purpose-built swim school in South West Sydney, is set to open in July and serve families across the region.

Nitin Singhi, Managing Director of Aquabliss, said the figures were alarming because too many Australian children lack skills that could save their lives.

Singhi said swimming instruction should give children confidence, skills and instinct for beaches, rivers, holidays and backyard pools.

He added that schools cannot do the job alone, so families and community swim schools must keep building those skills throughout childhood.

Aquabliss says children should keep training after the basics because early lessons alone do not get many students to the Year 6 standard.

Ms Modi described one family holiday when her daughter’s kayak capsized on a remote river.

Because Ms Modi’s daughter had trained at Aquabliss, she stayed calm, treaded water and called for help until a passing fisherman rescued the family.

Ms Modi said Aquabliss helped her daughter feel more confident in the water and stay in control in dangerous situations.

Before that river incident, Ms Modi’s daughter had completed Aquabliss’ Personal Aquatic Survival Skills, or PASS, programme.

The PASS programme focuses on aquatic survival skills rather than competitive swimming, which matches Singhi’s view of swimming as a life skill.