Plaid Cymru has just rolled out such an exciting announcement! If elected to lead the next Senedd after their strong 2021 showing, the party committed to provide free swimming lessons to all primary schoolchildren in Wales. This program targets children in years four and five to learn immensely lifesaving swimming skills. It shows the critical role water safety plays in protecting them. This policy is an attempt to address the alarming and worsening swimming proficiency rates between BAME children in Wales. It’s now expected to be costing £4.4 million per annum.
Plaid Cymru’s plan would provide all children with 20 lessons solely focused on swimming and water safety. Together, this initiative aims to equip them with the skills to safely enjoy all water activities. Heledd Fychan, the party’s culture, media and leisure spokeswoman, insisted on the need for such an initiative.
“Teaching our young people how to swim and be safe in and around water is a necessity, not a nice-to-have,” – Heledd Fychan.
The launch of the initiative follows alarming research from Swim Wales. It showed alarming results, with over a third of Welsh children between the ages of seven and 11 unable to swim 25 meters unaided. Fergus Feeney, chief executive of Swim Wales, welcomed Plaid Cymru’s proposal, highlighting the need for action to ensure that all children have equal access to swimming lessons.
He revealed that just half of Wales’ 1,600 primary schools are teaching kids to swim. With a prophetic warning, he stated that if the situation continued without intervention, swimming could become a pastime limited to “white middle-class kids.” He stated,
“Without urgent action, tens of thousands of Welsh children every year could leave primary school unable to stay safe in, on, or around water,” – Fergus Feeney.
Even the Senedd’s culture committee has acknowledged this as an urgent demand from constituents that accessible swimming lessons are provided. They’re calling on the government to develop a long-term plan for school swimming provision. This would help guarantee that every child leaving primary school can swim. Culture minister Jack Sargeant welcomed the committee’s recommendation as essential. He continued that he had serious concerns about the financial bottom line for schools.
“We need to be mindful of the financial pressure the recommendation would imply for schools in the current difficult financial circumstances,” – Jack Sargeant.
Even with these worries, Fychan doubled down on the value of offering swimming lessons as a key piece of a larger public health movement. She said increasing swimming uptake among children would continue the party’s aims of raising public health standards throughout Wales.
“By giving children the opportunity to learn to swim, we will also actively encourage children to be healthier – which is all a part of our commitment to a new and transformative agenda for public health in Wales,” – Heledd Fychan.
Plaid has developed a detailed, fully-costed policy plan. Its aim is to make sure every child in Wales can enjoy the same access to developing vital life skills. If implemented, it would position Wales as the first home nation to offer a national program of this significance in school swimming education.
