Swimming Lessons!
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Children are often given swimming lessons, which serve to develop swimming technique and confidence. Children generally do not swim independently until 4 years of age. At the age of 6 years more than 90% of the children is able to learn swimming in less than eight lessons.
School Swimming
In many places, swimming lessons are provided by local swimming pools, both those run by the local authority and by private leisure companies. Many schools also include swimming lessons into their Physical Education curricula, provided either in the schools' own pool, or in the nearest public pool. In Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, the curriculum for 11-year-olds in the fifth grade states that all children should learn how to swim as well as how to handle emergencies near water. Most commonly, children are expected to be able to swim 200 metres (220 yards) – of which at least 50 metres (55 yards) on their back – after first falling into deep water and getting their head under water. Even though about 95 percent of Swedish school children know how to swim, drowning remains the third most common cause of death among children.In both the Netherlands and Belgium, swimming lessons during school time (schoolzwemmen, school swimming) are supported by the government. Most schools provide swimming lessons. There is a long tradition of swimming lessons in the Netherlands and in Belgium; the Dutch translation for the breaststroke swimming style is schoolslag (schoolstroke). The children learn a variant of the breaststroke, which is technically not entirely correct. In Germany and Austria, school swimming ("Schulschwimmen") is part of the elementary school curriculum leading to the entry level certificate "Frühschwimmer" for about 90 percent of the children (a 95% goal set by the ministers for education with actual percentages ranging as low as 75% in some schools). About 50 percent reach a higher swimming level certificate during school swimming. In Switzerland most schools offer a swimming course however only 70% of the students take part in it which has lead to the „Schulschwimmen für alle“ petition in 2007. Unlike in Germany and Austria, a swimming test including a jump from the diving tower is common in Swiss schools.
In France, school swimming ("natation scolaire") is part of the curriculum for physical education in the 2nd and 3rd grade in elementary school, or for children aged between 4- and 6-years of age. The aim is successful completion of entry into water then swimming for 50 metres, before floating for 10 seconds, then swimming on the front and on the back (for 10 metres each), ending with retrieval of an object from deep water of more than 2 metres.
In the UK, the "Top-ups scheme" calls for school children who cannot swim by the age of 11 to receive intensive daily lessons. These children who have not reached Great Britain's National Curriculum standard of swimming 25 metres by the time they leave primary school will be given a half-hour lesson every day for two weeks during term-time.
In Canada and Mexico there has been a call for swimming to be included in the public school curriculum.
Swimming Lessons in North America
In North America most swimming schools use the swimming levels "Learn To Swim" as defined by the American Red Cross.Swimming levels
Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills
The student needs to get comfortable with water: this includes kicking, bobbing, underwater exploration, front and back floating and gliding with face in the water, open eyes under water.Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills
The student needs to swim 15 feet on front and back, submerge entire head, submerge and retrieve an object,Level 3: Stroke Development Skills
The student needs to swim 15 yards on front, back and crawl, also jump into deep water from side.Level 4: Stroke Improvement
Includes front and back crawl of 25 yards, butterfly 1and breaststroke of 15 yards, allowing for turns while swimming.Level 5: Stroke Refinement
All strokes should be shown at 25 yards, allow for flip turn, includes swimming underwater for 15 yards.Level 6: Skill Proficiency
The swimming test includes swimming continuously of 500 yards, including back and front crawl at 100 yards, plus 50 yards for each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and sidestroke. On top of this common swimming proficiency there are four swimming test variants for the Level 6 certificate: (A) Diving Basics - show a jump from the diving board; (B) Fitness Swimmer - demonstrate the use of training gear; (C) Lifeguard Readiness - submerge to deep water (minimum 7 feet); (D) Personal Water Safety - life jacket and boating rules.Lifeguard certificates are obtained directly in courses of the American Red Cross. The course length varies with 30 to 37 hours for the four options of Pool Lifeguarding, Waterfront Lifeguarding, Waterpark Lifeguarding and Shallow Water Attendant.
Swimming Lessons in Germany
The "Schwimmabzeichen" (swimming badge) is assigned in four levels - Entry, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The levels are defined by the Bundesverband zur Förderung der Schwimmausbildung (federal association for promotion of swimming lessons - assembling NGO associations) in coordination with the federal Kultusministerkonferenz (assembly of the ministers for education of each Bundesland-state).The entry level "Frühschwimmer" (early swimmer) includes a swimming test where the student shows a jump from side, 25 meter swimming (free style), and pick up of an object underwater. The "Frühschwimmer" level is better known by its mascot "Seepferdchen" (seahorse) shown on the badge with most people to call it the "Seepferdchen" certificate.
The bronze badge requires 200 meter of swimming in under 7 minutes (no style prescribed).
The silver badge requires 400 meter of swimming in under 12 minutes, pick up of an object from deep water (more than 2 meter), jump and dive from the side, and 10 meter swimming underwater.
The gold badge requires 1000 meter of swimming (under 24 minutes for males and under 29 minutes for females), sport swimming of 100 meter (under 1:50 for males and 2:00 for females), 100 meter back crawl, 50 meter rescue swimming, 15 meter swimming underwater, pick up of three objects from deep water (2 meters, under 3 minutes, max. 3 attempts).
Lifeguard certificates are defined separately by each organization - the entry level is "Junior-Retter" (junior rescuer) at the DLRG (the largest aquatics life saving organization in the world) and "Juniorwasserretter" (junior water rescuer) at the Wasserwacht (water rescue branch of the German Red Cross). Extended Lifeguard certificate grades can be obtained at three levels of the "Rettungsschwimmabzeichen" (rescue swimming badge) in bronze, silver and gold.
Swimming Lessons in Austria
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Österreichisches Wasserrettungswesen (working committee for water rescue in Austria) is a joint committee of private organizations and government bodies. They have defined four grade levels of swimming lessons that is used in school swimming.The Entry level "Frühschwimmer" (early swimmer - the badge showing a penguin) requires jump from side, 25 meters of swimming and 5 rules of swimming.
The Level 1 "Freischwimmer" (free swimmer - the badge with one wave and a bronze pin) requires 15 meters of swimming (at any style of choice), 1 meter jump into water, and 10 rules of swimming.
The Level 2 "Fahrtenschwimmer" (trail swimmer - the badge with two waves and a silver pin) requires 15 meter of swimming, dive jump or jump from 3 meter height, 10 meter swimming underwater, pick up of a thick object from deep water (2 meter water and 2,5 kg weight), 50 meter of back crawl, and 10 rules of swimming.
The Level 3 "Allroundswimmer" (routine swimmer - the badge with one wave and gold pin) requires 200 meter continuous swimming (100 meter front crawl and 100 meter back crawl), sport swimming of 100 under 2:30 minutes, 10 meter swimming underwater after dive jump, pick up of a thick object from deep water (2 meter water and 2,5 kg weight), 50 meter of back crawl, 20 meter rescue swimming with a person of about the same weight, and 10 rules of swimming.
Additionally, the ÖWR water rescue organization has test for the "Jugendschwimmerschein" (youth swimmer certificate) including 50 meter of breast stroke under 1:05 minutes, 50 meter front crawl under 1 minute, 50 meter back crawl under 1:19 minute, description of lifeguard rules, 50 meter rescue swimming with anotherr person, 100 meter snorkel under 1:50 minute, 100 meter swimming with clothes.
Swimming Lessons in Switzerland
In Switzerland the "Schimmtests" (swimming tests) is not organized in levels - instead each ability is tested by itself and a number of test certificates are put in a group designation. The swimming tests are defined by "swimsports.ch" which is an association of swimming NGOs and the federal institute for sports (BASPO).The Entry level has six tests "Ente" (duck), "Schwan" (swan), "Seehund" (sea seal), "Nilpferd" (hippo), "Schildkröte" (turtle) and Biber (beaver).
The Basic level has seven tests "Krebs" (cancer), "Seepferd" (seahorse), "Frosch" (frog), "Pinguin" (penguin), "Tintenfisch" (cuttlefish), "Krokodil" (crocodile) and Eisbär (ice bear).
The Advanced level has eight tests "Wal" (wale), "Hecht" (pike), "Hai" (shark), "Delfin" (dolphin), and tests named 5 to 8 (no symbol assigned).
The tests are combined into a four group tests that include swimming, diving, jump and rescue parts. After the four school levels of general swimming there are six categories of extended training where each discipline is divided into eight levels - the certificate of extended swimming capabilities in the upper four levels is mostly reserved by tests of the dedicated organization, e.g. Lifeguard certificates.
