Skip to main content

Five-year-olds Quentin and Nadia are learning how to swim.

At the Bond Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, a school that would have hosted learn-to-swim programs for legions of children a decade ago, the kids are just starting to learn about the front crawl and treading water. Quentin and Nadia are among the lucky children who can afford lessons at the Olympian School of Swimming.

"Our school doesn't have swimming because of the cutbacks," said Freda Sadri, Nadia's mother.

Because of cutbacks over the past 15 years, only 10 per cent of elementary students in the public school system have access to regular swimming programs. Until that time, about 75 per cent of students would receive at least a few mandatory lessons on basic swimming skills, said Richard Ward, co-ordinator for public health and physical education for the Toronto District School Board.

The lack of kids learning how to swim in school is at issue after the tragic drowning deaths of two boys during a weekend family outing to a conservation area near Fergus.

Larry Le, 9, died at Belwood Lake. His brother, Calvin, 7, died the next day at the Hospital for Sick Children. Eight-year-old Anthony was treated and released yesterday from McMaster Hospital in Hamilton.

It's not known if the boys took swimming lessons, but experts said children can drown in seconds.

Only schools such as Bond Collegiate that have maintained pools on their premises, have kept swimming as part of their regular physical education curriculum, Mr. Ward said. A few others may do the occasional field trip, but the onus is on parents and the municipal pools to pick up the slack.

The situation is the same for the Catholic school board.

"Ten, maybe, of 170 schools do lessons at municipals," said Anthony Petitti, who co-ordinates the physical education program for the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Mr. Petitti said the funds just aren't there.

"It's just not possible for us to do that in an elementary school," he said. "We've just never had the capacity or the facilities."

Overall, swimming lessons have become less popular. Depending on the organization, rates for lessons in municipal pools average about $50 for a 10-week session said Jeff Martin, who sits on the board of directors for the special interest area of aquatics for Parks and Recreation Ontario.

He said subsidies are often available, but parents have to ask for them. Tack on the weekly trek to the pool and lessons can be cumbersome for some families.

Barbara Byers, the public education director for the Lifesaving Society in Ontario, said that on average, 40 per cent of children receive instruction at some point in their life. But, she added, it appears as if the trend is decreasing.

New Canadians in particular face language barriers and accessibility issues, she said.

"To many parents [who are new Canadians, swimming lessons are]not part of their culture or orientation," she said.

Death by drowning happens very quickly and quietly, she said. It can take a mere 20 seconds.

"When they take a gulp of water they can't shout. . . . It's very, very silent so you're not likely to see someone drown." Ms. Byers said.

Almost 20 children under the age of 13 drown accidentally every year in Ontario according to statistics by the Ontario Coroner's office.

These kinds of deaths could be lessened if children learned three basic water safety skills, Ms. Byers said.

They should learn how to roll into deep water and come up for air without becoming disoriented; tread water for one minute and swim 50 metres.

With those skills, just about anyone should be able to compose himself and get to safety in most instances, she said.

The only other way to keep kids safe in the water, according to the city's board member for parks and recreation?

"If you're not within arms' reach, you've gone too far," Mr. Martin said. "Every child has the right and every parent has the responsibility to teach children water safety skills."

Interact with The Globe