LEARN-TO-SWIM WEEK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 58, 1 December 1937, Page 4

LEARN-T0-SWIM WEEK

Own Correspondent.)

Campaign Inaugurated by Minister

BENEFITS OUTLINED

(From Oux

WELLINGTON, This Day. "We should have a campaign every year; in fact a day each week should and could easily be dev.oted to learning to swim," said the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, in a statement last night on the occasion of the inauguration of Learn-to-Swim Week. Mr. Parry said that in June the following recommendations were forwarded to hira by the conference of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, the Royal Life Saving Society, and the New Zealand Surf and Life Saving Association : — (1) That swimming baths of an inexpensive standard shpuld be an essential part of the school equipment. ,(2) That swimming should be made compulsory (subject to medical advice , or to parents objeeting) for all children in Standards 4, 5 and 6, and, in addition, that life-saving method s be taught in the intermediate and -secondary schools). (3) That the education boards be urged to arrange that each school where swimming facilities are available be staffed with at least one teacher qualified to teach swimming and life-saving, and that school inspeptors be instructed to see that those subjecta receive full attention. (4) That swimming awards be issued on the recommendations of the members of the school staff, such awards to be based on the various stages of the progress of the pupils. . Mr. Parry submitted figuros which showed that only 12 per cent. of the pupils passing out of primary schools were certified as proficient swimmers, and only 27 per cent. were able to swim 25 yards. These figures were startling and presented an alarming state of affairs in a country where the possibility of water contact was so great. During that period ot the year in which drowning aceidents uaually oc■arred, the mortality from drowning was much larger than all forms of transport accident put together. In support of that contention the Minister gave a eomparison of deaths' from drowning and from motor aceidents, showing that there were far more from the foriner than from the latter. "In considerjng these figures," he said, "the important fact should be kept in mind that tlie surf clubs, to iate, had saved no fewer than 1799 people from drowning, and but for their activities tligse figures w/ould have gone to swell the fatality figures. "Swimming should he recognised and treated as an integral part of the school eurriculum, to be taken as a matter of course, except by tlxose children ex-, empted on medical grounds," added Mr Parry. "The plan is in every way preferable as an optional subject; many iiildren of a nervous or lethargic temperament to whom swimming. would be most beneficial and, once confidence and interest were aroused, thoughly enjoyable, do not come forward as, volunteers and so miss a valuable part of •school training whiqh is seldom made good in later life."