Start of Education Department's summer vacation swimming classes

30/12/96

More than 65,000 young Western Australians will participate in this summer's Education Department vacation swimming classes.

The Vacswim classes will be held from this morning at more than 230 beach and pool venues around the State and will continue for the next four weeks.

Education Minister Colin Barnett, who officially launched Vacswim at Mettams Pool near Trigg, said that 1,700 swimming teachers would be employed to take the classes.

"Vacation swimming classes have been held in WA for 77 years and have a proud history of teaching hundreds of thousands of young people to swim and play safely in pools and at the beach," Mr Barnett said.

'Look before you leap' was the special message given to the 40,000 children who began 10 days of classes today. A further 25,000 children will begin their classes on January 13.

Mr Barnett was joined at the launch by two victims of spinal cord injuries - Justin Lunn and Sinead Byrne - who have volunteered to visit swimming classes throughout the metropolitan area to help increase awareness of how to avoid spinal injuries.

"It is important our children understand that a split second of thoughtlessness or risky behaviour can have life-long consequences," the Minister said.

"Behaviour such as diving into unknown depths of water and leaping into pools where there are lots of other swimmers can land you in a wheelchair for life.

"Over the past five years in WA, there have been 26 hospital admissions of children under the age of 14 with spinal injuries. It is up to all of us to prevent these accidents re-occurring."

Mr Barnett said the Education Department's Vacation Swimming classes were ideal to teach children about the consequences of silly behaviour, particularly around water, before they reached the high risk age group in their teenage years.

"The VacSwim program is Australia's longest and most successful swimming and water safety education program," he said.

"Special educational strategies such as spinal injury prevention and care in the sun, ensure Vacswim's continuing success."

Late enrolments may still be available at some centres and parents should inquire at the end of day one lessons at any of the centres.

More information is available from Vacswim on (09) 221 2144.

Media contact: Justine Whittome (09) 222 9699