Frog Hollow children learn to Swim and Survive

Note: This story includes information and images taken earlier in term one before social distancing measures were put in place and public swimming pools closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children in regional communities across WA often miss out on the benefit of school swimming lessons that most metropolitan children enjoy. This is largely due to a lack of swim instructors to run these programs in regional areas.

Over recent months Royal Life Saving WA has partnered with the Education Department to ensure these vital Swim and Survive lessons can be made available for many regional and remote children, through the provision of swim instructors sent into communities specifically to run these programs.

During the early part of Term One this year the children of the Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School participated in a series of swimming lessons at the Warmun Remote Aboriginal Swimming Pool, with a swim instructor funded by the Education Department to teach the lessons.

Purnululu Aboriginal School is in the East Kimberley region in a beautiful Gija community called Frog Hollow. It provides school for children from Kindy to Year 10, ensuring the children value their traditional culture while learning skills to excel in both Aboriginal and western society.

30 children from the school enjoyed learning basic swimming, water safety and rescue skills. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 they were unable to finish all their planned lessons, but Pool Manager Aaron Jacobs has already pencilled them in to complete the rest of the program when the pool reopens for the new season in Term 4 2020.

Read more about our Remote Aboriginal Swimming Pool program, supported by the Department of Housing and Principal Community Partber BHP, at the link below.