Urgent review of Qld school swim program ordered

The state government has ordered a full review of Queensland’s school swimming program following revelations the program is plagued with inconsistencies.

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The state government has ordered a full review of Queensland’s school swimming program following revelations the implementation of the multimillion-dollar program had been plagued with inconsistencies.

It comes after The Courier-Mail over the past week revealed a number of issues with the water safety program, with experts and parents saying some kids were missing crucial lessons due to a lack of pool access or affordability.

Acting Premier Steven Miles on Monday will announce that following the revelations, the government has ordered the education department to ensure the program is being delivered to expectations.

Acting Premier Steven Miles on Sunday. Picture: Richard Walker

“The Department of Education will audit schools early this year to assess the delivery of the Water Safety and Swimming Education Program and examine whether all students have access to water safety education,” he told The Courier-Mail late Sunday.

“Queensland children grow up surrounded by water. Whether they’re around backyard pools, beautiful beaches, or rivers and creeks, water safety is paramount for young people.

“Importantly, we will make sure that state primary school students are taking part in classroom-based theory and practical lessons in the water, as is laid out in the program.”

The government’s call to audit the program comes after Steve Titmus – father of Olympic champion Ariarne – called on the government to do more to ensure kids were able to swim at least by the time they reached high school.

Legendary swimming coach and swim school founder Laurie Lawrence had also lent his voice to the issue, calling for a minimum of 10 swimming lessons to be part of the school curriculum and said all kids should have access to lessons – regardless of costs.

Mr Miles said the affordability of lessons would be examined during the audit, to “ensure that no matter their circumstances, children can take part in swimming lessons”.

“No child should miss out on swimming education because their family can’t afford it,” he said.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the program had been initially established in 2018 following the Ministerial Water Safety Roundtable – a summit which was directly sparked by The Courier-Mail’s first Save Our Schoolkids swimming campaign – and it aimed to “make sure all Queensland state primary school students have access to swimming lessons and high-quality water safety education”.

“Schools that don’t have a pool on site or within 1km automatically receive Learn to Swim funding to cover transport and pool admission costs, and more funds are available for schools facing additional barriers,” she said. “The department will assess whether appropriate funding is in place to ensure no children at Queensland state schools are disadvantaged when it comes to water safety education.”

Ms Grace backed her comments from last week that children should be learning water safety basics “long before they start school”.