Half of primary school kids aren't good enough swimmers

Half of primary school kids in England can't swim well enough according to a new survey.

The British Amateur Swimming Association has studied kids' swimming skills, and have found that half of them can't swim 25 metres without help.

They think that schools should take swimming lessons much more seriously, and need to do more to teach kids.

We want to know if you can swim? Do you think it's important to learn at school? Do you have enough lessons?

Your comments

"I think that children should know how to swim because it is a life skill just like riding a bike."

Lauren, Swansea, Wales

"I love swimming and used to swim with a club. I don't think schools encourage it enough as a sport though. In my school we only get 2 weeks of swimming lessons in Year 3; my younger sister's in Year 3 and she hasn't even had the lessons yet!"

Sarah, Caerphilly, Wales

"I can swim but we don't have swimming lessons in P.E."

Olivia, London, England

"I think that more year groups should be allowed to swim at school because only Year 3 at my school do."

Harry, England

"If you don't know how to swim, you could could fall off a boat and not know how to get back. We only swim once a week in Year 3 so we think that we should do more."

Daisy and Josh, Swindon, England

"I swim 4-3 hours a week and I am in a high level. I think all schools need swimming lessons. My school doesn't do lessons so I swim somewhere else."

Rose, Norfolk, England

"I am the best swimmer in the class."

Jode, London, England

"I can swim and it is one of my favourite sports and I think it is important to learn at school because one day you might need to use it to save your life."

Lucy, London, England

"I don't think our schools should be responsible for teaching us to swim. I think it's up to our parents taking us to swimming lessons. Sometimes it can be expensive so maybe if lessons were cheaper, more of us would learn before it's too late."

Maya, Devon, England

"I can only swim 50 metres but now that I'm in high school, we don't have any swimming lessons which I think isn't fair as swimming is really important."

Kaoutar, Manchester, England

"I think anyone can be good at swimming if they practise. A boy from my school can is a brilliant swimmer he gets up at 4am and starts training with Olympic swimmers! My school has weekly lessons and we have been entered in a competition."

Rebecca, Swindon, England

"I have just finished my lifeguarding exam and I'm in year 7. I have had swimming lessons since I was a baby!"

Ebony, Essex, England

"I can swim confidentially and am I'm 11, but I know lot's of people who can't swim."

Lula, Brighton, England

"I can swim OK, but not very well. We did swimming lessons in year 3, but they weren't very good. We should take swimming much more seriously around the UK."

Tom, North Surrey, England

"I can swim very well I have actually won trophies for my swimming but that is not due to school swimming lessons as we only had them in year 3 and year 6 and they weren't very good. I learnt how to swim by my family teaching me."

Billy, Merseyside, England

"I absolutely LOVE swimming! I think that it is very important to learn how to swim. It's good fun, good exercise and it's good for your safety - you never know when it will come in handy!"

Kimberly, Stockton, England

"Yes I can swim I am in year 6 and I have done up to 100m and my life saving because you need to know how to swim in life if you need to save someone."

Demi-Maisy, England

"My mum and dad say I swim like a fish!"

Cameron, Wolverhampton, England

"You need to be able to swim so you could save yourself one day in the future."

Elizabeth, Sheffield, England

"I love to swim and I think it's so important that you know how to swim."

Name: Noah, Bromley, England

"I think everyone should be able to swim because in life you need to know how to swim because you might fall out of a boat and so you can swim on the beach when you go on holiday."

Mohamed, Leeds, England

"I'm in year 7 and most of them can hardly doggy paddle!"

Amie, Leeds, England

"I can swim, I love swimming! I think it's important to learn how to swim because it is good for your own safety and it's very good exercise! I am very lucky because my mum takes me to swimming lessons every week!"

Lily, Shoreham-by-Sea, England

"I think teachers should be more serious about children's swimming since something could happen unexpected and they probably won't survive."

Nadia, London, England

"I can only swim with armbands but even then I still can't swim very far. At my school we only get swimming lessons in year 3 and year 2. I think we should get swimming lessons every year."

Mariam, Middlesbrough