8 December 2009
Media Release
For immediate release
Learn to swim – just one piece of the water safety education puzzle
For Otahuhu Primary School, developing an aquatics programme that is not soley based around learn to swim has seen some
very positive outcomes in meeting the needs of their students and community.
On Wednesday 9th December, children from the school will showcase the success of their whole-school and community
approach to aquatics and water safety education at their ‘Aquatic Home-School Partnership Night’.
There’s a lot of talk about learn to swim, both informed and ill-informed. Being able to swim doesn’t guarantee safety
around water.
“There is a distinct lack of children’s knowledge around water safety,” says Dr Kevin Moran, Researcher and Principal
Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Auckland and Chairman of WaterSafe Auckland.
While the skill of learning to swim is a fundamental life skill it is just part of the complex picture of safe aquatic
participation. There is a need for schools to ensure that an aquatics programme develops water safety and aquatic
knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that can be transferred to a variety of aquatic environments.
Otahuhu Primary is one of 15 schools WaterSafe Auckland has been working with this year under the Aquatic Education
Initiative funding by the ASB Community Trust with the aim of assisting low decile schools to develop sustainable
aquatic programmes.
Otahuhu Primary School’s ‘Aquatic Home-School Partnership Night’ runs from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, Wednesday 9th December at
the school, 41 Station Road, Otahuhu.
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