The Swimming in Schools initiative provides funding to support the delivery of quality swimming and water safety education so Victorian Government primary, specialist and English Language Schools and Catholic primary school students have the opportunity to:
- learn how to swim
- develop lifelong skills in water safety to reduce their risk of drowning and injury.
By the end of primary school, it is anticipated that students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills identified in the Swimming and water safety resources via HPE Victorian Curriculum F-10.
The Victorian Water Safety Certificate (VWSC) is a Government initiative which describes specific competencies students should be able to achieve by the time they leave primary school. The competencies of the VWSC are part of the achievement standards in the curriculum at level 6.
These are:
- Water Safety Knowledge – understanding safety and rules for a range of aquatic environments
- Swim continuously for 50 metres
- Surface dive, swim underwater and search to recover an object from deep water
- Lifesaving – Understanding how to respond to an emergency by demonstrating DRSAB and the recovery position
- Rescue Skills
- Rescue a person using non-swimming rescue techniques:
- Reach rescue using a non-rigid aid.
- Throw rescue using a weighted rope.
- Throw rescue using a buoyant object and unweighted rope.
- Rescue a person using non-swimming rescue techniques:
- Demonstrating a Survival Sequence wearing light clothing
- Enter the water safely.
- Scull, float and tread water for 2 minutes; signalling for help intermittently.
- Swim survival strokes slowly for 3 minutes.
- Exit the water safely.
Funding for schools
The Swimming in Schools initiative provides funding to support schools to fulfil the swimming and water safety requirements of Health and Physical Education in the Victorian Curriculum F-10.
The Victorian Budget 2024/25 allocated $73.3 million over four years to swimming and water safety education in Victorian government primary, specialist, and English language schools as well as Catholic primary schools. This funding builds on the $131.6 million already invested in swimming and water safety education since 2017.
Included is funding to continue building the capacity within schools and the aquatic industry to assist all students to develop swimming and water safety skills and knowledge. The continuation of professional development for teachers, tools and resources for parents and the aquatics community is also included.
Government schools funding
Funding that contributes towards the cost of swimming and water safety programs for Victorian government primary schools and will be distributed through the Student Resource Package: Swimming in Schools (reference 115).
Catholic schools funding
Catholic primary schools will receive funding directly from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.
Additional funding
Schools may be eligible for additional funding through the following programs:
Contact us
Questions relating directly to Swimming in Schools or swimming and water safety programs can be emailed to: school.swimming@education.vic.gov.au
Questions relating to the Parent Payment Policy can be emailed to: parent.payments@education.vic.gov.au
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