Swimming & Water Safety: Benchmarking, Skill Requirements, Knowledge, Barriers and Facilitators

Associate Professor - Richard Franklin

Thanks to: Amy Peden

Penny LarsenJustin Scarr

No financial interest to Disclose

This presentation is dedicated to the hard working teachers and instructors who day-in and day-out work towards ensuring our children stay safe, in- on- & around- water.

What are we targeting for swimming and water safety

Benchmarking ACT - Skills Knowledge

Presentation

Strengthen the Skills, Standards and Contribution of our Drowning

Prevention People

What skills do children have? What proportion of children have foundation

skills? What promotion is being undertaken? How does school based and private learn to

swim work together? Who participates and how often? How many teachers do we have?

1. Safely perform a compact jump and exit from deep water.

2. Demonstrate feet first sculling on the back.

3. Demonstrate rotation of the tucked body, keeping the face above the surface of the water.

4. Swim 50 metres freestyle with correct technique.

5. Swim 50 metres backstroke with correct technique.

6. Swim 25 metres survival backstroke with correct technique.

7. Swim 15 metres breaststroke with correct technique.

8. Demonstrate 10 metres sidestroke with scissor kick.

9. Dressed in swimwear, shorts and t-shirt, demonstrate the following sequence:

a) Sculling, floating or treading water for 2 minutes

b) Swim slowly for 3 minutes, changing survival strokes after each minute.

10.Float for 1 minute using an open-ended flotation aid.

11.Surface dive, swim underwater and recover an object from water depth equivalent to the candidate’s height.

12.Demonstrate a crouch dive.

13.Throw a rescue flotation aid to a partner at 5 metres distance and instruct the partner to kick to the edge.

14.Answer questions about dangers in the aquatic environment.

Extension: Demonstrate introductory butterfly arm action for a distance of 5 metres.

Skills within Level 4 of the Swim and Survive program

Number in Australia (2.2 million)

Captive audience Curriculum

Exists in all State and Territory School Curriculum Not consistent in where it fits:

In Qld in promoting the health of individuals and communities and developing concepts and skills for physical activity

In NSW in safe living strand and games and sports strand Participation

Through school Swim schools Vacation program Recreation

Primary School Children

Benchmarking

Benchmarking – What is it?

Hear about it all the time From a business perspective it is:

the process of comparing cost / productivity / quality / etc against an industry standard or best practice

For the purposes of this discussion it is:the ability of a child to attain particular skills and knowledge compared to children of a similar age

Barriers - TEACHERS Rural AUSTSWIM

Access to training Complex / cost registration process Amount of swimming lessons (heating of pools) Sun protection Better pay / conditions (including admin pay) Stable employment Support More career options in aquatics (e.g. Fulltime) Consistent hours

Franklin RC (2007). Rural and Remote Teachers of Swimming and Water Safety – Survey 2007. Australian Water Safety Council [Secretariat: Royal Life Saving Australia, PO Box 558, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia] www.watersafety.com.au

Barriers - SCHOOLS ACT 2006 (Kidsafe)

• Deterioration in level of swimming lessons conducted by ACT Schools (17% no longer provide swimming lessons)• Quality of some courses provided by pools; • Consistency - over time, and between school lessons

and private lessons;• Class sizes and subsequent quality of teaching;• focus of lessons on swimming stroke and skills,

especially when child already attends lessons;• variable objectives and expectations between providers,

parents and schools• Parent perceptions• School

• Transport

Barriers ACT 2006 (Kidsafe)

Supervision of Children• At the pool, especially where there are only one (or no) male

teachers to supervise boys change rooms;• Disruption at school, especially where only portion of some classes

attend lessons

Parent Perceptions• Cost, especially if added to existing private swimming lessons; • Expectations from lesson outcomes – often parents assume 10

lessons mean child can swim; • Competing methods and outcomes – in-school vs. private lessons;

swimming skills vs. water safety; • School vs. private lessons; • Variable quality of instruction between school providers and

between school and private lesson providers; • Lack of oversight / consistency for the program as a whole

Barriers ACT 2006 (Kidsafe)

Schools• Competing priorities, especially if only part of class attends, or

parent objections are aired at Board/Council level; • Role of teachers in water safety and its place in curriculum

structure;• Supervision both at the pool and for remaining students at school

Transport• Cost, especially more distant pools;• Organising and availability of ACTION buses; • Timing, especially to distant pools, and the impact on school

lessons and organisation; • Transport distance

Skills - ACT

ACT

D1 Level 1

D2 Level 2

D3 Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

56789

10111213

Average age by level

Level Achieved

Avera

ge A

ge

Nixon JW, Pearn JH, Dugdale AE (1979). Swimming ability of children: a survey of 4000 Queensland children in a high drowning region. MJA 2(5), 271-272.

Previous Research

Proportion of Children with Swimming Ability (=>10m)

Comparison of Children Swimming Ability Qld 1978 – ACT 2008-09

Can Swim

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 140

102030405060708090

100

Qld 1978 10m ACT 2008-09 10m

Age

% S

wim

=>

10

mete

rs

Nixon JW, Pearn JH, Dugdale AE (1979). Swimming ability of children: a survey of 4000 Queensland children in a high drowning region. MJA 2(5), 271-272.

ACT Con’t

6 (n=485) 7 (n=636) 8 (n=516) 9 (n=276) 10 (n=208)

11 (n=130)

12 (n=65)0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

0.23.3

9.9

25.0

41.3

53.1

61.5

Percentage of Children who achieved level 4 by age

Age of Child (years)

Pe

rce

nta

ge

ach

ive

Le

ve

l 4

(W

ate

r W

ise

) o

r b

ett

er

Nixon JW, Pearn JH, Dugdale AE (1979). Swimming ability of children: a survey of 4000 Queensland children in a high drowning region. MJA 2(5), 271-272.

Previous ResearchProportion of Children who can swim

(=>50m)

Comparison of Children Swimming Ability Qld 1978 – ACT 2008-09

Swim 50m or more

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 140

20

40

60

80

100

Qld 1978 50m ACT 2008-09 50m

Age

% S

wim

=>

50

mete

rs

Nixon JW, Pearn JH, Dugdale AE (1979). Swimming ability of children: a survey of 4000 Queensland children in a high drowning region. MJA 2(5), 271-272.

Average level achieved by age and gender, year, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Status and school typeAge (years)

Gender Year Aboriginal and/or

Torres Strait Islander

School type

Female

Male

2009 2010

2011

2009 vs

2010

2009 vs 201

1

No Yes Private Public

5 1.1 1.0 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 .8 1.2 1.0 #

6 1.5 1.3 * 1.5 1.3 1.4 * * 1.4 1.0 * 1.5 1.3 *

7 2.1 1.9 * 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.4 * 2.4 1.9 *

8 2.8 2.5 * 2.8 2.6 2.6 # 2.6 2.2 3.3 2.5 *

9 3.3 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.0 * 3.2 2.1 * 4.0 2.9 *

10 3.8 3.4 * 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 2.4 # 4.5 3.3 *

11 4.3 4.1 4.4 4.3 4.0 4.2 3.6 5.0 3.7 *

12 5.0 4.2 * 4.8 4.7 4.5 4.7 3.8 5.2 4.4 *

* p<0.01; # p<0.05

Private vs Public

Level 4 or above Level 5 or above0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

8.9

2.8

41.4

20.9

Private v public students aged 7-12 years - achieved level 4 or above and level

5 or above

Public Private

Level 4 or above Level 5 or above0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

28.1

12.1

73.7

40.2

Private v public students aged 10-12 years -

achieved level 4 or above and level 5 or above

Public Private

Average level achieved by reported medical condition, negative experience, having a pool at home and participation in private

swimming lessons ACT Department of Education – Schools Swim and Survive Program 2009-2011

Age (Years)

Medical Condition

Negative Experience

Private Home Pool

Yes No Yes No   Yes No   Yes No  

5 1.0 1.0 .8 1.1   1.2 0.9 *  1.1 1.1  

6 1.3 1.4 1.0 1.4 * 1.6 1.0 * 1.6 1.4 *

7 1.6 2.0 * 1.6 2.0 * 2.4 1.5 * 2.5 1.9 *

8 2.3 2.7 * 2.0 2.6 * 3.1 2.1 * 3.1 2.3 *

9 2.7 3.3 * 2.0 3.3 * 3.9 2.6 * 3.9 3.1 *

10 3.3 3.7 3.2 3.6   4.4 3.3 * 4.2 3.5 *

11 3.7 4.3 # 3.2 4.2   4.8 4.0  * 5.0 4.0 *

12 3.8 4.8 # 2.0 4.7 # 5.4 4.5  # 5.1 4.7  * p<0.01; # p<0.05

Age by aquatic location visited in the last 12 months ACT Department of Education – Schools Swim and

Survive Program 2009-2011

Age (Years)

Public Swimming

Beach Lake River Other Swimming

Yes No Yes

No Yes No Yes No Yes No

5 1.1 1.0 1.2

.9 * 1.1 1.1

1.3 1.0

* 1.1 1.1

6 1.5 1.0 * 1.5

1.2

* 1.6 1.3

* 1.5 1.4

1.5 1.4

#

7 2.1 1.4 * 2.2

1.7

* 2.2 2.0

# 2.1 2.0

2.0 2.0

8 2.8 1.9 * 2.9

2.3

* 3.0 2.6

* 2.9 2.6

* 2.9 2.6

#

9 3.3 2.6 * 3.5

2.7

* 3.9 3.1

* 3.5 3.2

# 3.4 3.2

10 3.8 3.0 * 3.9

3.2

* 3.9 3.6

3.9 3.6

4.0 3.6

#

11 4.3 3.8 #4.4

3.7

* 4.8 4.1

* 4.3 4.2

4.6 4.1

12 4.9 4.2 4.9

4.2

# 5.0 4.7

4.9 4.7

* 5.0 4.7

*P<0.01 and #=P<0.05

Experience and level achieved

Female Male Total.0

.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Home Swimming Pool

No Yes

Female Male Total.0

.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Private Swimming Lessons

No Yes

Female Male Total.0

.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Public Swimming Pool

No Yes

Female Male Total.0

.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Beach

No Yes

Age by how often swims grouped ACT Department of Education – Schools Swim

and Survive Program 2009-2011

Age

At least once a

fortnight (1)

Less than once a

fortnight (2)

Never (3)

Unknown /

UnsureTotal

1 v 2

1v3

2v3

5 1.2 .9 .7 .9 1.0 * *6 1.6 1.1 .7 1.2 1.4 * * *7 2.4 1.6 1.0 1.9 2.0 * * *8 3.1 2.2 1.3 2.3 2.6 * * *9 3.9 2.6 1.9 3.0 3.2 * * *10 4.3 3.3 2.5 3.6 3.6 * * *11 4.7 3.7 4.1 4.5 4.2 *12 5.5 4.4 3.5 4.6 4.7 * *Total 2.7 2.2 1.4 2.5 2.4 *

How often swims by average level achieved ACT Department of Education – Schools Swim

and Survive Program 2009-2011

Mor

e th

an tw

ice a

wee

k

Twice

wee

kly

Wee

kly

Fortn

ight

ly

Mon

thly

Quarte

rly

Twice

Once

Never

.000

.500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

4.000

How Often Went Swimming

Ave

rag

e L

eve

l A

ch

ieve

d

Logistic Regression Model for children to achieve Level 4, 2009-2011 (n=7,726)

Variables OR 95% C.I. for OR

 Sig.

Lower Upper

Age 2.572 2.389 2.768 .000

Gender (Female) 1.559 1.277 1.904 .000

School Type (Private) 3.107 2.504 3.856 .000

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

.763 .385 1.511 .437

Negative experience .477 .243 .935 .031

Swim at least once a fortnight 2.429 1.882 3.134 .000

Have a swimming pool at home 2.201 1.666 2.910 .000

Visited a public swimming pool 2.757 1.850 4.109 .000

Visited a beach 1.941 1.558 2.420 .000

Undertook private swimming lessons

1.893 1.449 2.473 .000

Logistic Regression Model for children to achieve Level 5, 2009-2011 (n=7,726)

Variables OR95% C.I. for OR

Sig.Lower Upper

Age 2.411 2.221 2.617 .000Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

.534 .204 1.401 .202

Previous Negative Experience .263 .094 .737 .011Gender (Female) 1.556 1.223 1.979 .000School Type (Private) 3.270 2.558 4.180 .000Swim at least once a fortnight 2.028 .877 4.688 .098Swim less than once a fortnight .766 .337 1.741 .525Swimming Pool at Home 2.332 1.697 3.205 .000Visited a public swimming pool 2.442 1.488 4.008 .000Visited a beach 1.937 1.462 2.565 .000Visited a lake 1.933 1.396 2.676 .000Visited a river .729 .529 1.005 .054Visited other aquatic location(s) 1.552 1.121 2.148 .008Participated in private swimming lessons

2.319 1.684 3.193 .000

Have an existing medical condition .808 .544 1.200 .291

Proportion of children by age who achieved Level 4 and above or Level 5 and above ACT Department of Education – Schools

Swim and Survive Program 2009-2011 (n=7,668)

5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00 11.00 12.000.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

0.5

1.57.9

22.3

38.5

50.4

63.1

77.5

0.43.4

10.6

23.6

30.6

44.5

56.3

Achieved Level 4 or above Achieved Level 5 or above

Age (years)

Perc

enta

ge W

ho A

chie

ved L

evel

Knowledge

Unknown levels Aim to identify a baseline level

To evaluate future education campaigns Identify changes in knowledge levels over

time Quiz forms part of a benchmarking study Concern over decrease in emphasis of

water safety in school programs Water safety is holistic

Water Safety Knowledge

Snap shot of Quiz

Accessed via www.watersafetyquiz.com.au 27 questions 20 minutes to complete Aquatic Centre, Signs, Beach, Home, Backyard

Pool, Boating, CPR, Farm, Lake, Personal Awareness, Rescues, Rivers, Swimming

3 types of question Scene based questions Rules questions Multiple choice

Methods

Question development Illustrations Website development Piloting Changes Launch and promotion strategies Children undertaking the quiz Examination of results

Number of participants by age and gender (N=3,790)

5 Years 6 Years 7 Years 8 Years 9 Years 10 Years 11 Years 12 Years Female Male0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

7628 54

152

354

877

1182

1067

2008

1782

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

56.061.7 64.5 64.2

69.2 72.0 73.6 76.5 74.0 71.2

Percent of answers correct by age and gender (N=3,790)

.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

11.6

14.715.8 15.2 15.3 14.8 14.5 13.8

14.6 14.2

Time spent (minutes) by age and gender (N=3,790)

Percentage correct by category and gender (N=3,790)

Aquat

ic C

entre

Sign

s

Beach

Home

Backy

ard

Pool

Boatin

gCPR

Farm

Lake

Pers

onal

Awar

enes

s

Rescu

esRiv

er

Swim

min

g45.0

50.0

55.0

60.0

65.0

70.0

75.0

80.0

85.0

90.0

Female Male

Aquat

ic Cen

treSign

s

Beach

Home

Backy

ard

Pool

Boatin

gCPR

Farm

Lake

Pers

onal A

waren

ess

Rescu

es

River

Swim

ming

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

Percentage correct by category and age

(N=3,790)

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years 11 years 12 years

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

64.168.9

73.3 71.976.5 79.0 80.8 82.9

Beach

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

47.8 46.449.4

53.8

65.369.7 71.9 73.7

River

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

53.3 53.157.2

49.646.0 47.4 48.8

62.0

CPR

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

42.136.6

51.9 52.356.6 58.6 60.8

66.0

Rescues

Time (seconds) spent per category by gender (N=3,790)

Aquat

ic Cen

tre T

ime

Sign

s Tim

e

Beach

Tim

e

Home

Tim

e

Backy

ard

Pool T

ime

Boatin

g Tim

e

CPR T

ime

Farm

Tim

e

Lake

Tim

e

Pers

onal A

waren

ess T

ime

Rescu

es T

ime

River T

ime

Swim

ming

Tim

e

50

100

150

Female Male

Aquat

ic Cen

tre T

ime

Sign

s Tim

e

Beach

Tim

e

Home

Tim

e

Backy

ard

Pool T

ime

Boatin

g Tim

e

CPR T

ime

Farm

Tim

e

Lake

_tim

e

Pers

onal A

waren

ess T

ime

Rescu

es T

ime

River T

ime

Swim

ming

Tim

e

50

100

150

200

Time (seconds) by category by age (N=3,790)

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years 11 years 12 years

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

50

100

150

200

121

153145

106 100 97 96 90

Aquatic Centre Time

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

50

100

150

76

121113 116 114

9994 93

Signs Time

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

10

20

30

40

50

28

2326

3236 36

3836

Personal Awareness Time

5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years

11 years

12 years

20

40

60

3335 35

4549

51 51 51

River Time

ACT - NT - T

as (n=207)

NSW (n=1,527)

Qld (n=478)

SA (n=199)

Vic (n=850)

WA (n=529)

Total (N=3,790)

9.6

9.8

10.0

10.2

10.4

10.6

10.8

11.0

1011

1010

11

11 11

Age of participant by region (n=3,760)

ACT - NT - T

as (n=...

NSW (n=1,527)

Qld (n=478)

SA (n=199)

Vic (n=850)

WA (n=529)

Total (N=3,790)

12.5

13.0

13.5

14.0

14.5

15.0

15.5

16.0

13.614.0

14.314.6

15.4

14.6 14.4

Time Spent (minutes) by region (N=3,790)

67.0

68.0

69.0

70.0

71.0

72.0

73.0

74.0

75.0

73.7 74.0

69.5

72.8

71.3

73.572.7

Percent of answers correct by region (N=3,790)

Who without this project would not have been possible Co-authors ACT Branch All the schools and pools who have

participated Children who participated in lessons and also

quiz

Acknowledgements

Swimming & Water Safety: Benchmarking, Skill Requirements, Knowledge, Barriers and Facilitators