Free faculty swimming classes election pledge by Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru has promised to guarantee that all main faculty kids in Wales are given free swimming classes if it wins subsequent yr’s Senedd election.

The coverage would supply 20 “swimming and water safety” classes for youngsters in years 4 and 5.

Plaid stated the pledge would value £4.4m a yr.

The nationwide governing physique for Welsh swimming, Swim Wales, stated that “fewer than 35%” of Welsh kids aged seven to 11 are capable of swim 25 metres unaided.

According to Swim Wales, dad and mom ought to already “expect their child to attend school swimming at some point during primary school”.

However, the “exact opportunities” can differ relying on the native council and every particular person faculty, the organisation added.

Giving proof to a Senedd committee in 2023, the chief government of Swim Wales, Fergus Feeney, stated that solely 50% of the nation’s 1,600 plus main faculties took half in swimming, as he warned the exercise dangers being limited to “white middle class children”.

Plaid says {that a} lack of funding limits what main faculties are capable of provide and so the social gathering would set cash apart particularly for varsity swimming classes.

Plaid Cymru’s tradition, media and leisure spokeswoman Heledd Fychan stated the social gathering’s “fully-costed” coverage would “teach every single child the skills they need to enjoy spending time in and by the water safely”.

“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,” she added.

According to the National Water Safety Forum, there have been 18 water-related deaths in Wales in 2024 and the speed of unintentional drowning in Wales is nearly double that of the UK as an entire.

“Teaching our young people how to swim and be safe in and around water is a necessity, not a nice-to-have,” Fychan stated.

Fergus Feeney stated he “welcomed” the coverage.

“Without urgent action, tens of thousands of Welsh children every year could leave primary school unable to stay safe in, on, or around water,” he stated.

“By having a universal school swimming offer, we can ensure that Welsh children from all backgrounds have the same opportunity to acquire a life skill, to develop their confidence and begin their journey of lifelong physical activity.

“This would imply that Wales could be the primary residence nation to have a nationwide programme of this significance in place.”

Earlier this year, the Senedd’s culture committee called on the government to “develop a faculty swimming technique to make sure that kids leaving main faculty have the flexibility to swim”.

Responding at the time, the minister for culture Jack Sargeant said he agreed with “the intention of the advice”, but added “we should be conscious of the monetary strain the advice would indicate for faculties within the present tough monetary circumstances”.

“The statutory steerage inside the Curriculum for Wales, which all faculties should think about, consists of learners participating in a spread of bodily exercise, together with inside water,” he added.