Losing out on the Kiwi dream

We are beach people, sea people. Approximately two-thirds of New Zealanders live within five kilometres of the coast, according to census figures, and the proportion is growing over time. And, given the state of our rivers, the sea is where many of us choose to swim.

Despite our love of the water and our image as a country that loves the great outdoors, that likes to have sand on its feet and sun on its face all summer, more and more New Zealand children are growing up without the ability to swim.

It comes down to one simple thing, and that is cost. It is expensive to maintain the school swimming pools adults remember from their childhoods, and private swimming lessons are out of the reach of many. This is why Stuff has chosen to back the charity Water Safety New Zealand, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support the Water Skills For Life aquatic education for primary and intermediate-aged children.

Water Safety’s figures show that drowning is the third-highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand, behind motor vehicle accidents and falls. It is the second-highest for those under 25. It is also the leading cause of recreational death.

Of 105 drownings in New Zealand in 2017, 92 were considered preventable. Numbers from the same year show that, alongside the elderly, those aged 15-24 were the largest group of preventable fatalities in the water, which might indicate that many children are going into their teens with poor water safety skills. Children under 15 drown less often because they are still supervised by parents.

The numbers point to a need for more accessible swimming lessons and safety training. Water Safety says that about a quarter of schools teach children ‘‘adequate’’ and basic lifesaving skills, such as floating, with the remaining 75 per cent of schools unable to provide the minimum recommended lessons, which in turn creates transport costs and issues of access. Even those schools that still teach swimming on site have reduced the time children spend in the water.

In essence, swimming has become privatised. Over the past five years, about 165 school pools have closed and another 135 are at risk of closing. With many local schools unable to equip children with water safety skills, the ability to swim has largely become accessible only to the privileged.

While the Ministry of Education stresses all students must have basic aquatic skills by the end of year 6, there is no standardisation. The quality and frequency of lessons varies, and the ministry does not require schools to report to it on progress.

School swimming pools briefly became a political issue before the 2017 election. Chris Hipkins, then in Opposition and now the minister of education, wanted to ensure that every New Zealand child had the opportunity to learn to swim at school. He said: ‘‘It’s about living a full life and living the Kiwi dream and making sure our kids are going to be safe and avoid tragedy in the future. It shouldn’t matter where in the country you are, if some kids get free swimming lessons, all kids should be getting them.’’

Those were admirable words. It remains to be seen if the Government’s plans to dramatically overhaul education include turning that Kiwi dream into a reality.

In essence, swimming has become privatised. [With school pools closing] the ability to swim has largely become accessible to the privileged.