This water safety issue from Southampton honestly feels more serious than people may think at first . City of Southampton Swimming Club is now asking for better water safety education in schools,and with curriculum changes coming in September,this timing is not small thing ah .
And problem is not that children don’t like swimming . According to reports,approximately 90% of children in South have expressed a love for swimming,as highlighted by Swim England . But liking swimming and actually being safe in water are two different things.
Only about 77% of children complete primary school being able to swim standard distance of 25 metres . That gap is worrying,because outside school pool or controlled environment,water can turn risky very fast.
Few things standing out clearly here:
- New Water Safety Forum introduction means framework will be established in schools to teach water safety techniques alongside swimming skills.
- Rising costs and pool closures are making swimming lessons less accessible for families .
- New curriculum will focus on survival techniques for open water scenarios.
And honestly,cost part is where many families will relate immediately . Head Coach Matt Heathcock of the City of Southampton Swimming Club has said swimming lessons can cost upwards of £20 to £25 for a single hour of swimming . For many parents,that is not casual expense only.
Pandemic also made things worse because many pools closed due to financial strains and reduced usage . So children lost chances to learn swimming at exactly time when these skills should have been built slowly .
Now new Water Safety Code is expected to include messages like "Stop and Think," "Stay Together," "Float," and "Call 999." Simple lines,but in panic situation,these basics can actually decide what happens next.
Professor Mike Tipton,Chair of the National Water Safety Forum,has also stressed that learning to float is key survival skill,especially in open water . And tbh,that makes sense because open water is very different from swimming pool.
What feels more uncomfortable is recent data showing significant percentage of drowning victims aged between 8 and 18 were reportedly capable swimmers . So this is not just about teaching children to swim 25 metres and ticking one school box.
And if children love swimming so much,but still leave primary school without enough survival confidence,then question is very simple… who is supposed to close this gap before something goes wrong?
