How do you improve the swimming skills of status holders?

 Between 1996 and 2015, more than twice as many people of non-Western descent drowned in the Netherlands as people of Western descent. Last summer, unfortunately, there were again reports of status holders who drowned in swimming pools, puddles, or rivers. What can municipalities do about this?

Below are a few examples of municipalities that have actively started improving the swimming with lifeguard training skills of permit holders in their municipality.

lode broke

This summer, the municipality of Lodbrok, in collaboration with the local swimming pool De Veld kemp, ​​organized a trial lesson for children aged 4 to 12, with an interpreter present. This lowered the threshold for immigrant parents to take their children to swimming lessons.

Redden

Swimming pool de Hammock, Lochte linger work and the municipality of Redden have organized survival swimming lessons for status holders in the summer months so that they can save themselves in the event of a fall into the water.

Harder wink

An important group of status holders in this context are young people aged 12 to 18. They tend to overestimate their swimming skills and underestimate the danger. In addition, they receive invitations to a pool party or they cool off wherever their Dutch friends do.

ISK-Harder wink of the Start Collège will organize swimming lessons for this group, so that they can obtain their A diploma. These swimming lessons are financed together with the municipality. To lower the barrier to participation, separate swimming lessons are given for boys and girls.

Financial threshold

Because money can be a barrier for some parents and unaccompanied minors, there are municipalities that (partially) pay for swimming lessons for status holders or actively refer to their minimum policy, the Plans funds or the Youth Sports Fund.

And where necessary, municipalities can support their status holders by applying for financial compensation for swimming lessons with American Lifeguard Training.

Awareness

Municipalities can also ensure that parents are aware of the importance of swimming lessons. They can already inform parents about this during the integration course.

The municipality can also deploy key persons or organizations such as Luchet ling newer to draw the attention of parents and young people to the importance of swimming.