7,000 NZ Kids Get Life-Saving Swim Lessons

Thousands of New Zealand children are learning how to survive in water, thanks to a campaign that's already reached 7,000 kids who might never have had the chance.

Stuff and Water Safety New Zealand launched the initiative three months ago after discovering that seven in 10 Kiwi children can't tread water to save their lives. More than 130,000 kids nationwide have never had a swimming lesson.

The campaign has funded water safety lessons at 31 schools across the country, from Kaitaia to Canterbury. Each lesson costs about $70 per child, covering pool sessions or beach and river safety training.

"What Stuff has helped achieved is immense," said Glen Scanlon, chief executive of Water Safety New Zealand. "Every lesson is helping prepare young people for the reality of New Zealand's waters. It absolutely will save lives."

The need is greatest in poorer communities where families can't afford private lessons and schools lack funding to subsidize them. Schools like Kedgley Intermediate in Auckland (800 students) and Papatoetoe Intermediate (720 students) are now getting lessons their students desperately needed.

The Ripple Effect

Drowning remains New Zealand's leading cause of recreational death. By teaching children essential survival skills now, the campaign isn't just preventing tragedies this summer. It's building a generation of water-smart Kiwis who can enjoy their nation's beaches, rivers, and pools safely.

The conversations sparked by the campaign have helped shift the culture around water safety. Parents, teachers, and communities are recognizing that swimming isn't a luxury activity but a survival skill every child needs.

Three more schools are next in line for funding: Moturoa School in New Plymouth, and Henderson Intermediate and Bruce McLaren Intermediate in Auckland. The campaign continues accepting donations to reach its 10,000-student goal.

Esther Hone, Water Safety New Zealand's interventions lead, wants every primary and intermediate-aged child in the country to have access to these life-saving lessons. With community support, that vision is becoming reality one student at a time.