Taranaki Children Learn Water Safety

Vital safety lessons are being offered to children in Taranaki after fears were raised over their basic water skills.
The safety course, being offered by the New Plymouth District Council and energy company AWE, is open to year 6 students and over five lessons will teach basic theory and practical water safety skills.
The council's aquatic recreation manager, Mike Roberts, said there was an urgent need for an all-encompassing water safety programme.
Roberts stated "only 25% of year six students in New Zealand are able to tread water or swim 25 metres, more school pools are closing every year, and New Plymouth has many rivers and lakes and a long coastline.�?.
Water Safety New Zealand drowning statistics show that in Taranaki between 2003 and 2008, 15 people drowned, three at beaches, two on domestic properties, one offshore and nine in rivers. Four of them were younger than 14.
A recent survey by the organisation showed the water skills of all New Zealand children are worsening because of a lack of access to facilities, a lack of qualified teachers and cost restraints. It anticipates unless urgent action is taken to reverse the downward trend the drowning rate will increase to a level not seen in decades.
This is despite the fact the national drowning rate has in fact dropped from a record high 215 drownings in 1985 to a record low 91 drownings in 2006.
The first schools to take part in the programme are Welbourne and Central Schools and eventually students from about 40 of the district's schools will have the chance to take part. Over the year, it is hoped more than 1200 students will take part in the course.
The programme will include New Zealand surf lifesaving captain Glenn Anderson and the council's aquatic centre team encouraging as many children as possible to be able to swim 200m continuously by age 12.
Mr Roberts said the programme, expected to cost about $100,000, could not have happened without the AWE/council funding partnership.
AWE will contribute about half the money required.
AWE general manager Dennis Washer said the new safety course fitted the company's ethos and policies.
New Plymouth Mayor Peter Tennent said it was a wonderful initiative and one every parent around Taranaki would appreciate.