A collaborative effort between Whakatane District Council, Swimming New Zealand, Water Safety New Zealand and Sport BOP, is helping to make Murupara and Galatea students more conscious of water safety and improve their swimming skills.

A total of 328 Year 1-8 students at Murupara Area School and Galatea School are taking advantage of the programme, which provides 30-minute lessons for just one dollar each. All instructors are qualified swimming teachers and the attending school teachers have taken part in the State Kiwi Swim Safe workshop.

Children enjoying a dip in the pool.

They also have poolside assistance from Swimming New Zealand swim safe advisor Erin Fowler.

Erin says the programme is all about increasing the children's ability to swim and survive in the water, and to increase awareness around aquatic environments, especially the local rivers where everyone swims.

The area has also had six senior students attend Swimming New Zealand's Assistant Swim Teacher Award course.

'They will be trained in how to teach swimming and water safety in the water.

'They are learning alongside qualified swim teachers. It is a great thing for the community to have three qualified swim teachers here, and soon there will be six more.”

Whakatane District Council aquatics and recreation manager Sarah Clarke says the initiative is a great result for the schools, and will give young children in Murupara and Galatea more opportunities to learn to swim and to be safe around water.