Free swimming and water safety lessons will become a permanent feature of Northern Territory primary schools, with the Finocchiaro CLP Government locking in ongoing funding after what it has described as a successful first year of the program.
The Swimming in Schools initiative, introduced in 2025, saw 17,899 students from 160 schools take part — representing about 6.7 per cent of the Territory’s total population. From 2026, the program will be embedded into schools’ annual budgets, backed by $3 million in funding each year for government and non-government schools.
The scheme comes at no cost to families, with the government estimating a household with two primary school-aged children will save around $328 a year.
Education and Training Minister Jo Hersey said the move delivered cost-of-living relief while ensuring children gained vital lifesaving skills. “Under the CLP, your children will learn to swim just like they learn to read and write,” Mrs Hersey said.
“Exploring waterfalls, swimming at local springs or pools, boating and fishing are all part of the unique Territory lifestyle. We want to protect that by teaching our youngest Territorians how to swim while they’re in primary school.”
The government said the program had already led to significant improvements in swimming competency. Before the introduction of free lessons, an average of 338 Year 6 students met the National Benchmark for Swimming and Water Safety. After the first full year of the program, that figure rose to 843 students.
Executive Director of Royal Life Saving NT, Floss Roberts, described the policy shift as transformative. “This ensures children across the Northern Territory will not miss out on essential swimming and water safety skills that save lives,” she said.
“In 2025, 17,899 primary school students participated, with 843 achieving the national competency benchmark — an outstanding result for our first year of delivery. Our focus now is to build on this strong foundation and continue increasing participation and achievement in 2026.”
The program has also highlighted the challenges faced by remote schools. Alpurrurulam School in the Barkly region travelled a total of 655 kilometres to ensure its students could take part in lessons.
Initial plans to access facilities in Mount Isa were unable to proceed due to cross-border arrangements. A dedicated swimming week was later organised in Tennant Creek, but when the pool unexpectedly closed due to maintenance and compliance issues, alternative arrangements were made.
Teachers and students ultimately travelled an additional 105 kilometres to the Devils Marbles Hotel, where lessons were delivered by a qualified AUSTSWIM instructor.
The Department of Education and Training said the outcome demonstrated its commitment to equity and access for remote communities, ensuring students did not miss out despite significant logistical hurdles.
The government has framed the permanent rollout as part of its broader agenda focused on growth, certainty and security across the Territory.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
