School swimming week in Wuppertal: 1,800 children learn to swim safely!

School swimming week in Wuppertal: 1,800 children learn to swim safely!

In Cologne there is a lot going on in the area of ​​swimming lessons - and with full swing! This year's “School Swimming Week” has already begun and will run until June 28, 2025. The initiative aims to offer students intensive access to the beautiful sides of the water. Spread across seven Wuppertal pools, 51 schools of all school types have registered a total of 112 classes, and around 1,800 children sweat in the swimming pools every day.

But what is behind this project? A very clear focus is on making children safer in the water. Traditionally, swimming time in schools is usually only 30 minutes, which is often not enough for effective learning. During the school swimming week, on the other hand, the students have 60 minutes a day to get used to the water and learn to swim. In this way, they not only lose their fear of water, but also gain fun from moving around in the water element, as the city of Wuppertal wuppertal.de emphasizes.

A well thought out concept

The school swimming week is not just a one-off event, but a well thought-out concept to promote swimming. The respective sports teachers are responsible for the content, which ranges from water familiarization to competitive swimming. The classes are scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., which means that regular school lessons are adjusted accordingly. All participating schools can take part in this program free of charge, which is a real plus, especially for smaller institutions, as schulsport-nrw.de reports.

In addition, the event is supported by swimming assistants from the swimming association and sports helpers from the schools. These helpers receive T-shirts and towels, sponsored by the local doctor's office and the Wuppertal Swimming Association. This not only guarantees the fun factor, but also ensures the safety of the children.

A step towards security

According to estimates, not all of the participating children can achieve the basic skills of swimming. In the four levels of swimming, which range from getting used to the water to safe swimming, each student is supported according to their individual abilities. Safe swimming, defined from the fourth level onwards, can even decide whether a child is considered a non-swimmer, especially if the basic level is not reached in lessons, as schulsport.sachsen.de explains.

The success of the last four weeks of school swimming speaks for itself. In the past, the initiative has not only increased the swimming ability of boys and girls, but has also sustainably promoted their enthusiasm for sports. Those responsible have shown a good hand in both the organization and the implementation, which should create a valuable experience for the children.

By the end of the week at the latest, it should be clear how many students have made the leap to becoming safe swimmers. But with the “School Swimming Week” one can assume with great confidence that many children have developed a completely new perspective on the water. And that is ultimately the most important thing!