Children to receive more teaching in water proficiency – just knowing how to swim does not prevent drowning
Children’s swimming skills have declined to a worryingly low level. According to a survey conducted in 2022, 55 percent of 12-year-olds had adequate swimming skills, which means they can swim continuously for 200 metres.
“Many people think that they don’t need a life vest because they can swim, but swimming skill as such is not always enough,” says University Teacher Susanna Saari.
She has been preparing recommendations for swimming instruction and is responsible for water activities instruction in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.
“Swimming skill should be seen as a part of broader water proficiency including water safety knowledge, skills and attitudes,” Saari says.
“That is, understanding how to act safely in and on the water so as to prevent any imminent risk situations.”
New recommendations influence teaching as well
The new recommendations will be introduced in September 2025. They are based on 15 domains of water proficiency (see the image below). In addition to swimming skill, water proficiency includes capability for responsible action as well as ability to estimate one’s own skills, understand risks and local dangers, for instance, at a nearby beach or understanding changes in the carrying capacity of ice according to the weather conditions.
The recommendations include lesson hour recommendations for swimming instruction for different grade levels, with an emphasis on Grades 1 to 3, which is a crucial time for creating a basis for the development of swimming skill and water proficiency.
According to the recommendations, water proficiency should be taught also outside a swimming pool, as part of other lessons in subjects such as environmental studies or health education. During indoor PE lessons it is possible to practice and acquire lifesaving skills and knowledge in physically active ways.
The recommendations are directed to schools in particular, but they are useful to everybody who has some effect on the opportunities of children and youth to learn swimming skills and water safety issues. The purpose of the concrete tools is to support and facilitate teachers’ work.
At the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, the recommendations are already impacting teaching.
“In PE teacher education, we take into account all domains of water proficiency,” Saari says. “We ensure thereby that our graduates will have broad insights and competence for the teaching of water activities.”
Tips for staying safe at the beach
Susanna Saari says that she is often worried at beaches because she sees plenty of behaviour that can lead to dangerous situations. Saari lists four points everyone should take note of so they can stay safe when at the beach.
1. Children must be constantly supervised.
At the beach, children are under adults’ responsibility and must be constantly supervised.
- Don’t spend time on your phone or read a book while looking after a child.
- A child can also drown in shallow water on shore, and in muddy Finnish waters a child disappears quickly below the surface.
- A child unable to swim may drift with a large swimming toy into too deep water and get in danger.
- In water with small children, an adult must stay within arm’s length – preferably so that the child is kept in between the shore and the adult.
2. A swim buoy is cheap life insurance
Always swim in parallel with the shoreline so that your feet can reach the bottom. If you are going to swim even a little farther from the shore, always take along a swim buoy – and preferably also a friend. Then boaters can also notice you better.
A swim buoy is an inexpensive and important piece of safety equipment for everybody swimming in natural waters. The buoy helps with flotation, and it can be used for resting, while waiting for help or in swimming to shore. It provides safety for the swimmer and peace of mind for others on shore. The buoy also helps locate the swimmer at risk of drowning.
3. Always use an aid for rescue
It can be difficult to detect that somebody is drowning, since a drowning person may show little or no signs of the emergency. A drowning person uses all available energy for breathing and trying to keep oneself on the surface, being thus unable to shout for help. Find out the need for help by asking if everything is OK. If you get no answer, act as follows:
H = Always call first for help. Call 112.
C = Stay calm and calm down the person in need of rescue by telling them that help is coming.
A = Take some aid along! Keep it in between you and the rescuee so that you do not end up at risk yourself.
R = Rescue
In an emergency, remember H-CAR.
4. Use a life vest also on a SUP board
Always wear a life vest or a personal buoyancy aid when you are moving on the water – whether on you’re on a SUP board or in a rowboat. Many drowning accidents occur when people are not wearing life vests in a rowboat. Life vests must be put on correctly. Practice putting on and swimming with a life vest.
