Schools kids take to the water following Save our Schoolkids campaign

Thousands of Queensland kids will be jumping into free school swim lessons this term, following the Save Our Schoolkids campaign led by The Courier-Mail.

THOUSANDS of Queensland school kids are now safer in the water with free access to vital swim lessons, a year on from a campaign led by The Courier-Mail.

Following the Save Our Schoolkids (SOS) campaign, sparked by warnings from experts about a generation of Queensland kids lacking crucial life-saving swimming skills, a nation-leading program was announced by the state government.

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This term schoolkids will be embracing the warm weather by making the most of free swimming lessons across Queensland state primary schools, some for the very first time.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the government was delivering on its commitment that all Queensland state primary schools would offer water safety and/or learn to swim programs with a $3.7 million annual funding commitment – an increase of $2.18 million per year.

Earnshaw State College preps Mikayla Atkinson, Bianca Willis and Elenor Smith having fun in the pool in Term 4. Photo: Nigel Hallett

“With the weather starting to warm-up as we approach summer, many families across the state are returning to the pool both for exercise and recreation,” Ms Grace said.

“And with the fourth term of the school year kicking off this week, students at many schools across Queensland will be returning to the pool as part of water safety and/or learn to swim programs.”

Earnshaw State College principal Karen McKinnon said the kids loved their weekly swim lessons.

“The lessons develop their confidence, breathing, swimming techniques and strength,” she said.

“While younger students are a little nervous at first, they quickly develop confidence as they learn how to breathe, go under the water, dive into the pool and use their bubble and breathing arms.”

Earnshaw State College preps Mikayla Atkinson, Bianca Willis and Elenor Smith having fun in the pool. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Within days of The Courier-Mail’s January 2018 campaign launch which pushed for kids to have compulsory and comprehensive swimming and water safety lessons at school, Ms Grace ordered a series of roundtable meetings between key groups including Surf Life Saving Queensland, Royal Lifesaving, AUSTSWIM, P&Cs QLD and government representatives.

Olympians and swimming legends passionately backed the campaign, including Laurie Lawrence, Cat and Bronte Campbell and Libby Trickett, with a galaxy poll finding 80 per cent of Queenslanders were in favour of primary school kids receiving swimming lessons.

In August 2018 the state government announced the new program to help make Queensland the “Water Safe State”.

Ms Grace said swimming and water sports were “an integral part of Queensland life”, and it was crucial that children were safe in and around water.

“Research tells us that the earlier children learn to swim, the better and parents have also have a key role to play in ensuring their child learns to swim,” she said.