AUSTSWIM WELCOMES COALITIONS MILLION DOLLAR INITIATIVE FOR SWIM TEACHERS
Austswim 9, 2013: AUSTSWIM, Australia’s National organisation for the teaching of swimming and water safety™, has today welcomed a Coalition government’s initiative that will provide a further “life blood” for the industry.
A Coalition government’s initiative to invest $15 million into Australia’s peak water safety agencies, including Surf Life Saving Australia and the Royal Life Saving Society, was announced yesterday as part of a policy to reduce drownings across Australia.
The announcement will include an extra $1 million for AUSTSWIM over four years to provide improved access to accredited AUSTSWIM Teachers by target groups.
“That is music to my ears,” said AUSTSWIM CEO Gordon Mallett, today.
“AUSTSWIM Teachers provide the foundation of swimming and water safety skills and knowledge which make Australians safer in and around water.
"Our AUSTSWIM teachers are the lifeblood of an industry which is becoming more and more diverse every year.
“Our teachers provide vital lessons to thousands of Australian children as well as training and education for teachers of swimming and water safety for cultural and linguistic diverse backgrounds (CALD).
“It is so important for AUSTSWIM to continue to provide an underlying philosophy of equity of access as we strive for ‘water safety for all Australians.
“Our teachers continue to provide essential services in our “Rural and Remote” areas and for indigenous and multi-cultural groups.
“AUSTSWIM has been working with a range of multicultural groups to increase awareness of the importance of gaining swimming and water safety skills.
“The Coalition’s commitment to AUSTSWIM will enable us to extend our programme of subsidised swim and water safety teachers of people with a disability, to those willing to teach in rural, remote and indigenous communities and identified migrant populations.
“It will also enable continued development of education and training materials for candidate management, accreditation and assessment as well as online learning material to ensure more communities can access quality teachers of swimming and water safety.”
Under the direction of Mallett and chairman John Rigby AUSTSWIM has embarked on the AUSTSWIM Teacher of Aquatics – Access and Inclusion course.
“It is a course that has been updated and extended to reflect the growing size and diversity of today’s communities,” said Mallett.
“It adopts an educational approach, providing a positive directive to AUSTSWIM teachers of swimming and water safety to provide aquatic access and inclusion to all people regardless of disability, chronic condition, cultural and linguistic diverse backgrounds (CALD) and functionality,” said Mallett.
“It will be important for our AUSTSWIM teachers to observe, analyse, modify and adjust their thinking and approach, action and program activities as necessary.
“This continual process ensure the presentation of effective, safe, enjoyable
and appropriate programs and activities for all Access and Inclusion participants resulting in enhanced functionality.
“It is designed to provide the knowledge and information required to deliver programs and services that meet the needs of a diverse range of people who use the aquatic
environment.
“The knowledge, skills and experience our teachers have gained as an AUSTSWIM teacher of swimming and water safety are an excellent foundation for
this course of study.”
For further information please contact:
Gordon Mallett,
AUSTSWIM CEO
Phone: 03 9562 7900
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Issued on behalf of Austswim…..
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Managing Director
Phone: +61 7 5522 5556 | Mobile 0407 385 160 | Fax: +61 7 5522 5557
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.hansonmediagroup.com.au
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