PRIMARY schools including Ellenbrook, Mundaring Christian and West Northam have had their in-term swim lessons cut back from two weeks to just one this year.

Swan View Primary School has had only one week of swim lessons since 2021, and school parent Tamara Braddon said the shorter program was making it difficult for students to hit their swimming milestones.

“I’m really lucky that I can afford to send my kids to out-of-school lessons but there are plenty in our school community where this is their only chance to get lessons,” she said.

“My daughter is in pre-primary and this year she had Year 6 kids in her swimming groups, so there is definitely a significant gap developing between those kids who can have access to extra lessons and those who rely on the in-school ones.”

In Parliament last week, Opposition  Community Services spokesperson Donna Faragher asked three questions about some WA primary schools losing their swim lessons.

In response to one of these, Education  Minister Tony Buti provided a list of 42 schools whose lessons had been reduced from two weeks to one week.

Of this list, Swan View Primary and West Northam Primary were the only two schools whose program had been shortened to one week of lessons for three consecutive years.

Parent and Swan View’s school council chair Richard Kaub said keeping a shortened program was just not good enough.

“Both of these schools have a number of families that would have real trouble getting their kids to swimming lessons, apart from the in-term school lessons,” he said.

“I keep on thinking about the pair of kids who drowned last New Year’s Eve in the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River).

“There are many families in Swan View who just can’t manage (for various reasons) to get their kids to any other swimming lessons and that’s why it is so vital that they at least have their minimum entitlement of lessons at school.”

He said the treatment of both schools in cutting back lessons for multiple years in a row was an action he considered both unfair and unsafe.

“If we don’t make a really serious song and dance about this now, when will Swan View’s kids ever have their lessons?” Mr Kaub said.

“Whatever the problems are – this needs to be seriously addressed for the safety of all our kids.”

Royal Lifesaving WA chief executive Peter Leaversuch said learning to swim before finishing primary school was essential for Australian children.

“Learning to swim is more than just a safety skill – it’s a cornerstone of the Australian way of life,” he said.

“With so much of our culture tied to water, whether it’s swimming at the beach, spending weekends at the pool, or enjoying activities like boating and fishing, swimming becomes a gateway to countless opportunities for fun, connection, and adventure.

“Teaching children foundation swimming and water safety skills is the most important investment the community can make to reduce drowning.

“Primary school is the perfect time because kids are quick learners and can build strong foundations in swimming and survival skills.”

He said the subsidised swim lesson programs run through WA primary schools ensured all kids had free access to essential water training.

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“These structured, consistent programs ensure that many children receive essential training and for some, it’s their only exposure to formal swimming instruction.

“With more than 220,000 students participating in in-term lessons this school year and more than 90 per cent completing full 10-day programs, these lessons are critical in building water safety awareness across the community.”

But Mr Leaversuch said research conducted by Royal Lifesaving WA revealed many children were still missing out on lessons due to a range of barriers.

He said missing lessons during primary school had left some kids unable to swim even 50m.

Issues including instructor shortages and logistical issues involved with swim lessons were mentioned as possible reasons for the change from two weeks to one week of lessons for some schools.

Mr Leaversuch said the solution involved addressing several challenges including availability of a qualified workforce, expanding pool access, increasing mandatory in-pool hours and reducing financial and logistical barriers.

“In the lead up to the 2025 election, Royal Life Saving is calling for $10 million in additional funding to coordinate the delivery of culturally inclusive swimming lessons in key communities currently missing out and directly support families struggling with cost living pressures to find and access a program suitable for their needs (estimated at 5000 families each year),” he said.

“While these solutions require funding and coordination, they’re targeted and based on emerging opportunities.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn to swim, it’s a critical life skill.”