School swimming mainly focused on maintaining swimming skills
At 57 percent of schools, school swimming is focused on maintaining swimming skills and water safety (‘wet PE lesson’). At 21 percent of schools, the goal is to obtain a swimming certificate. In addition, approximately 20 percent combine both objectives.
Schools are less likely to focus solely on swimming certificates. In 2017, 36 percent still did so. They are increasingly opting for a combination of objectives, with promoting swimming skills and water safety remaining central.
Fewer weeks of school swimming per year
The frequency of school swimming is declining: on average, 19 weeks per year per school. In 2021, that was still 22 weeks. Schools that focus on swimming for certificates offer more weeks of school swimming per year than schools that provide only ‘wet PE lessons’.
More school swimming in major cities
In the three major cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, many more primary schools (42%) offer school swimming than in other regions. In these cities, school swimming is mainly focused on obtaining swimming certificates (48%). This proportion is also higher than in most other regions.
Differences in the provision of school swimming
- At 60 percent of schools, school swimming replaces physical education.
- At the majority of schools, the swimming instructor at the pool provides the school swimming lessons (94%).
- Schools usually offer school swimming during school hours, especially to groups 5 and 6.
Survey among primary education school leaders
The results of this study are based on a questionnaire survey among 818 school leaders in primary education. This study is part of the third measurement of Physical Education and Sport in Primary Education. In a factsheet the Mulier Institute explains the results concerning school swimming.