Stawell Sports and Aquatic Centre has launched a new swimming lesson aimed at teenagers in response to national research showing an alarming number of Australian students fall below national benchmarks for swim safety.
Royal Life Saving Australia research shows more than 40 per cent of all children now leaving primary school have not achieved the national benchmarks for swimming and water safety education for 12-year-olds.
The benchmarks include being able to swim 50 metres and float for two minutes.
Northern Grampians Shire mayor Karen Hyslop said a Royal Life Saving Australia National Drowning Report revealed the risk of drowning increased tenfold for youth and young adults aged 10 to 20 because of a clear decline in swimming, water safety, and lifesaving skills and an increase in risk-taking activities in this age group.
"In response, Stawell Sports and Aquatic Centre is launching a new swimming lesson just for teenagers, which is the first time something like this has been available in the region," she said.
"Some metropolitan schools have been doing this for a while, but teenage-specific classes are not commonly offered in a regional setting. Being safe around the water is vital and swimming lessons are so important as they boost participants' confidence, competency and overall safety in the water.
"We hope this new lesson focus will help bridge the gap and create a welcoming space for older students to work on their swimming skills."
The new swimming classes are open to anyone aged 10 or older and will be at 3.30pm on Fridays during school terms.
"For now, the aquatic centre team is introducing the one class, however additional classes might be added to the timetable if there is an increased demand," Cr Hyslop said.
"While the centre's Learn to Swim program already caters for students who are 10 or older, these new lessons are for inexperienced swimmers or young people who have not been swimming in a while. They aim to break down any barriers to learning to swim and create a safe, comfortable environment for young people to learn alongside their peers.
"I encourage parents to consider taking up this great opportunity for their children. Now is a perfect time as we head towards the warmer months."
