PREVENTING needless drowning deaths is the most compelling reason we invest so much time and effort on learn-to-swim programs in this country, but it is not the only reason.
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As a group of mothers from a multicultural background has discovered at Orange Aquatic Centre, a lack of confidence in the water can also exclude them from so much community interaction.
Most Australians take for granted they will learn to swim and spend a great deal of recreational time in and around water.
While it is true that there are more drownings in inland waterways and pools than at our iconic beaches, country kids are generally well served by swimming programs.
That is particularly true in Orange thanks to the indoor pool, our two swimming clubs and the Bush Nippers program which runs in the outdoor pool through the summer months.
Nevertheless there is a gap in our swimming programs which a council multicultural program wants to close.
Growing up in cultures where swimming was not a normal pastime is common to the background of many migrant families who have chosen to make Orange home.
For cultural and religious reasons it may be difficult for some migrants, but particularly women, to learn the basic water safety skills that give them the confidence to get into a community pool with their children.
We are familiar with the tragic stories of international tourists and migrants coming to grief in swimming conditions that Australians with a water culture have little trouble dealing with.
What we may not have considered is the isolating effect of feeling unable to go to a swimming pool, let alone supervise a child who wants to be in the water just like any other kid. The learn-to-swim program at Orange Aquatic Centre is a great step towards addressing both these issues.