Royal Life Saving Tasmania delivers tailored swimming and water safety lessons for high-risk students

Royal Life Saving Tasmania has facilitated a personalised six-week swimming and water safety program for 10 high school students thought to be at particular risk of drowning.

The program provides practical skills and knowledge on how to stay safe in, on and around water, but has been tailored specifically based on these students’ personalities and individual needs.

These students were part of a cohort of 130, 12 to 14-year-old (Grade 7 and 8) students from Parklands High School in Burnie, North West Tasmania, who took part in a pilot program earlier in the year and who were identified as needing additional water safety education to keep them safe.

As well as basic swimming skills, such as treading water, the program teaches students how to use survival techniques, such as specific strokes that use less energy and conserve body heat, and how to perform a safe rescue in an aquatic emergency.

Commenting on the success of the program, Royal Life Saving -Tasmania Project Manager, Karina Siggins stated “it has been immensely rewarding to see how each student’s skills have developed. The children are very excited about what they have learned and achieved, and their self-esteem and confidence has gone through the roof.

“The program has also helped to boost students’ social skills, which has had a positive impact on engagement and attendance at school and their learning.”

The final lesson of the program took place at the Burnie Aquatic Centre yesterday (Friday 29th November).

Image of the Burnie Aquatic Centre courtesy of ARTAS Architects.