Asian & Pasifika Youth Water Safety Pilot

A significant improvement in water confidence as a result of wearing a lifejacket was just one of the encouraging outcomes from an Asian & Pasifika Youth Water Safety pilot study involving Macleans, Mangere and Pakuranga Colleges.

Three hundred and twelve Year 9 and 10 students, of mixed ethnicities, participated in the pilot which was tailored to meet their specific ethnic needs, yet developed similar core practical water safety skills.

WaterSafe Auckland initiated the pilot in partnership with ACC, in an effort to address an identified gap in water safety education for the youth of our Asian, Maori and Pasifika communities. Community engagement, research and drowning statistics all highlighted a need to promote swimming and water safety skills aquisition.

"Research indicates that factors include poor swimming ability, limited knowledge of aquatic hazards and poor perception or risk and behaviour patterns," says Jan Taylor, School Operations Manager, WaterSafe Auckland. "This programme has the ability to increase water safety skills, knowledge and critical thinking for both the at-risk groups, leading to safe aquatic participation."

The students participated in four practical and four theoretical lessons during Term One and all were asked to complete a demographic survey and knowledge pre-test. This test was repeated at the completion of the programme as part of the evaluation.

Pre-existing swimming ability was low with only 25 percent of the Asian and 14 percent of the Pasifika groups indicating they could swim 200m* or more. Post-pilot feedback from the students indicated a marked improvement (68%) in water confidence as a result of wearing a lifejacket, "it helped them float and keep warm", and 80 percent of Asian and 67 percent of Pasifika students reported an improvement in personal water safety knowledge.

Feedback from the teachers was also very encouraging. They all enjoyed teaching the programme, reporting they had learned a lot, especially from the practical sessions, and two of the three schools reported that they would include this in their 2008 aquatic programme.

*200m is the 'Swim for Life' standard for 12-year-old students set by Water Safety New Zealand.

For further information on the Asian & Pasifika Youth Water Safety pilot study contact Jan Taylor, jan.taylor@watersafe.org.nz

 

Lifejacket drills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noodle tow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming through rough water