Free school swimming lessons pledge by Plaid Cymru

The pledge by Plaid would see 20 lessons for children in years four and five

Plaid Cymru has promised to make sure that all primary school children in Wales are given free swimming lessons if it wins next year's Senedd election.

The policy would provide 20 "swimming and water safety" lessons for children in years four and five.

Plaid said the pledge would cost £4.4m a year.

The national governing body for Welsh swimming, Swim Wales, said that "fewer than 35%" of Welsh children aged seven to 11 are able to swim 25 metres unaided.

According to Swim Wales, parents should already "expect their child to attend school swimming at some point during primary school".

However, the "exact opportunities" can vary depending on the local council and each individual school, the organisation added.

Giving evidence to a Senedd committee in 2023, the chief executive of Swim Wales, Fergus Feeney, said that only 50% of the country's 1,600 plus primary schools took part in swimming, as he warned the activity risks being limited to "white middle class children".

Plaid says that a lack of funding limits what primary schools are able to offer and so the party would set money aside specifically for school swimming lessons.

Plaid Cymru's culture, media and leisure spokeswoman Heledd Fychan said the party's "fully-costed" policy would "teach every single child the skills they need to enjoy spending time in and by the water safely".

"By giving children the opportunity to learn to swim, we will also actively encourage children to be healthier – which is all a part of our commitment to a new and transformative agenda for public health in Wales," she added.

According to the National Water Safety Forum, there were 18 water-related deaths in Wales in 2024 and the rate of accidental drowning in Wales is almost double that of the UK as a whole.

"Teaching our young people how to swim and be safe in and around water is a necessity, not a nice-to-have," Fychan said.

Fergus Feeney said he "welcomed" the policy.

"Without urgent action, tens of thousands of Welsh children every year could leave primary school unable to stay safe in, on, or around water," he said.

"By having a universal school swimming offer, we can ensure that Welsh children from all backgrounds have the same opportunity to acquire a life skill, to develop their confidence and begin their journey of lifelong physical activity.

"This would mean that Wales would be the first home nation to have a national programme of this significance in place."

Earlier this year, the Senedd's culture committee called on the government to "develop a school swimming strategy to ensure that children leaving primary school have the ability to swim".

Responding at the time, the minister for culture Jack Sargeant said he agreed with "the intention of the recommendation", but added "we need to be mindful of the financial pressure the recommendation would imply for schools in the current difficult financial circumstances".

"The statutory guidance within the Curriculum for Wales, which all schools must consider, includes learners engaging in a range of physical activity, including within water," he added.