Students from remote schools benefit from in-term lessons at Balgo Swimming Pool

Over the past six months, children from three remote Western Australian schools have been diving into fun and lifesaving swimming lessons at the Balgo Remote Swimming Pool. 

Run by Royal Life Saving WA in partnership with the Western Australian Department of Education, these in-term lessons have provided a total of 100 students in remote communities the chance to develop essential swimming and water safety skills they might otherwise miss out on. 

Term 4 saw 15 students from Kururrungku Catholic School travelled nearly two hours each way to attend Term 4 lessons in Balgo. Term 1 brought a further 54 students from the local Luurnpa Catholic School, and 33 students from John Pujajangka-Piyirn Catholic School, ranging from pre-primary to high school. 

Despite an hour-long journey on a rough, flood-prone road, students from John Pujajangka-Piyirn looked forward to their lessons each day. The program wrapped up on the last day with a lively carnival, bringing all students together for swimming, a BBQ, and fresh fruit to celebrate their achievements.

Students from remote schools such as John Pujajangka-Piyirn and Kururrungku Catholic School that don’t have access to public pools are at a particularly high risk of missing out on essential water safety education.

Royal Life Saving WA’s Remote Pools across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne are helping to improve swimming skills among Aboriginal children, who are disproportionately affected by drowning at a rate 2.5 times higher than other Australian children. Many remote communities are located near rivers prone to flooding, making water safety education even more vital.

Royal Life Saving WA advises “through our partnership with the Department of Education and the support of local schools, these children are gaining confidence in the water and learning vital skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.”

Click here for more information on Royal Life Saving WA’s Remote Pools project.

Images courtesy of Royal Life Saving WA.