VOTERS BACKING WATER SAFETY
AN overwhelming majority of Queenslanders want the State Government to introduce mandatory swimming and water safety lessons in primary schools.
A Galaxy Poll found 80 per cent of Queensland voters support the push, highlighted by the Townsville Bulletin’s Save Our Schoolkids ( S. O. S.) campaign.
In what should be a powerful message to the Palaszczuk Government, Labor voters were the most supportive of the initiative – with 82 per cent in favour – compared to their LNP counterparts ( 73 per cent).
The findings comes as water safe- ty experts, educators and government representatives unite today to discuss the issue.
Education Minister Grace Grace ordered the roundtable meeting following the S. O. S campaign, which is pushing for compulsory and comprehensive swim and water safety lessons in schools.
This would bring Queensland in line with other states and territories currently outperforming the Sunshine State when it comes to safeguarding children in the water.
The campaign was backed by lifesaving experts, high- profile Olympians and swimming legend Laurie Lawrence.
Ms Grace said everything was on the table in trying to boost school swimming programs.
Attending will be representatives from Surf Life Saving Queensland, Royal Life Saving Society Queensland, Catholic and independent schools, P and C groups, the Queensland Association of State School Principals and heads of a range of government departments.
The poll was conducted on Wednesday night and was based on a sample of 661 voters from throughout the state.
It found overall 80 per cent of Queensland voters were in favour of primary school children receiving swimming lessons and being taught about water safety.
Only 13 per cent opposed the move and a further 7 per cent were uncommitted.
The S. O. S. campaign has heard advice from many experts, including the Australian Water Safety Council and Surf Life Saving Queensland, who say that while many Queensland schools offer some form of swimming development, it is not benchmarked or compulsory, with thousands of children slipping between the cracks.
Some have called for an audit of just what is being taught, where and by whom, to gauge exactly how many children are not being given the vital skills and knowledge to survive in the water.