A recent survey shows that many young people in Switzerland do not receive swimming lessons, even though they are included in the curriculum. The Swiss Lifesaving Society is calling for improvements.
08.11.2024, 09:37
08.11.2024, 10:22
SDA
A recent survey conducted by the Swiss Lifesaving Society has revealed that 13 percent of young people in Switzerland have not received swimming lessons at school. This survey, which questioned over a thousand parents across the country, shows that swimming and water safety lessons, despite being part of Curriculum 21, are not being implemented everywhere.
Curriculum 21, which is used in 21 cantons in Switzerland, includes swimming lessons as an essential component. Nevertheless, many parents report a lack of swimming lessons, which is attributed to a lack of indoor or outdoor pools. The Swiss Lifesaving Society emphasizes that 87% of parents and 83% of school administrators consider swimming lessons to be important or very important.
Challenges in swimming lessons
Another result of the survey shows that only 66% of school principals use the water safety check (WSC) to assess pupils' swimming skills. This indicates a gap in the assessment of swimming skills that needs to be closed.
In light of these results, the Lifesaving Society is calling for lakes to also be used for swimming lessons. This could provide a solution to the lack of suitable swimming pools. It also suggests improving the training of teachers in order to increase the quality of swimming lessons.