School swimming lessons Qld: Lifesaving mum’s call for overhaul

A mother who performed CPR on the lifeless body of a school-aged girl beside a pool has called for more children to have equal access to swimming lessons, as a teacher argues five lessons a year “is not good enough”.

A mother who performed CPR on the lifeless body of a school-aged girl in October, 2021 has called for more children to have equal access to swimming lessons.

Primary school student Leenah Ali, 7 at the time, was at her best friend Evie’s house for a birthday pool party when in a “split second” she quietly and silently sank to the floor of the pool.

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Jaime Martin, a mother of one of the children present, immediately performed CPR on Leenah who miraculously survived.

Ms Martin said she learned CPR through her job as a teacher but that she is concerned by how many school-aged children are unable to swim.

“There are swimming programs in schools but it is also in my opinion up to the parents, the school can only do so much,” she said.

“But all kids should be able to access swimming lessons.”

Jaime Martin was one of the parents at the party who performed CPR. Picture: Jerad Williams

Meanwhile, swim teacher and mother-of-nine Nicole Benno said “five lessons a year is not good enough”.

“The ratio is normally about one teacher to 10 students so really they are getting maybe 8 to 10 minutes per lesson for a week.”

“I have taught children in Year 6 who are absolutely terrified of water – which for children in Queensland is quite sad … but probably more so scary.”

Asked whether the state government needed to do more to “enforce” swimming lessons, Ms Benno said “yes – five lessons a year is not going to teach a child to save their life”.

Leenah Ali, 7, was at her best friend Evie’s house for a birthday pool party when in a “split second” she quietly and silently sank to the floor of the pool. Picture: Jerad Williams

“There appears to be a generational gap – a lot of parents are scared to have their children go near water because they are scared themselves.”

Another mother, Isabella Yap said her 10-year-old daughter had only ever received a week of lessons every year.

“She felt like she was being forced to swim and because there was so many students the focus on learning wasn’t there,” she said.

“There was also no report court or any advice on what our child needed to improve on.”

“It becomes our responsibility to make sure our kids have a chance to save their lives if they get in trouble in the water.”

Brad Palmer said his son and grandson’s get lessons at school but it wasn’t enough for them to adequately learn how to swim.

“It wouldn’t be the same as getting proper swimming lessons where there is attention to detail for longer,” Mr Palmer said.

“At this stage I can’t take my eye away from them. This pool is shallow but anything can happen.

“I think we need to get extra swim lessons for the boys (Azayah, Alijah and Jayden).”

Education Minister Grace Grace put out a statement on Tuesday saying she would “like to reassure families that swimming lessons are already compulsory in all Queensland state primary schools”. Picture: Liam Kidston

Brenda Harris said her four children aged 17, 13, 12 and 11 had very different experiences of swimming at school as it changed depending on participation.

“If they don’t have enough participants, the school would cancel the lessons because they didn’t want to pay for the transport to the pool,” she said.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said every Queenslander should learn CPR.

“Early, effective CPR can mean the difference between life and death,” she said.