#GetWaterWise: Around one third of councils in Scotland don't offer swimming lessons to pupils
There's a call to make swimming lessons a core part of the curriculum for primary schools.
Last updated 3rd Aug 2021
A MFR investigation shows around one third of council areas in Scotland don't offer swimming lessons as a core part of the curriculum.
It's after seven people died in deep open water across the country last weekend.
Bryan Finlay from the Royal Life Saving Society is concerned about the number of adults who don't know how to swim.
"It doesn't surprise me that adults don't have that basic education and we could do a lot more to help teach our adults how to swim.
"We also need to teach them how to stay safe near water too.
"We need to train our bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation and we need to strengthen the public awareness of drowning and highlight the vulnerability of children."
"Anybody can drown, but nobody should."
Bryan says he understands the temptation to go for a swim in lochs and rivers during the hot weather, but claims we need to start teaching water skills to kids at a young age.
"The difficulty is that nobody is going out there expecting to drown.
"Anybody can drown, but nobody should."
It's as a nine-year-old girl from Lanarkshire is backing our #GetWaterWise campaign by urging other children to learn the skills of being a lifeguard.
Heather Bryson has been taking part in the Rookie Lifeguard scheme since she was five and has now achieved the gold certificate.
She said: "I feel really confident in the water, but I look around me for anything dangerous and if there is something not right then I stay away from it.
"You might need to be a strong swimmer at one point and learning how to stay safe in water could save your life.
"It's as simple as that."
Brian Whittle is a Conservative MSP for the south of Scotland and former Olympic athlete.
He was critical of the Scottish Government when it cut £1.72m of funding towards swimming lessons for pupils in 2015.
He said: "It shouldn't be for councils to decide whether or not they have the money to provide lessons for primary school pupils.
"It is creating a massive inequality across the country.
"All primary school children need at least a block of lessons so they can swim a length of a standard pool."