Swimming lessons is the process of learning to swim. In most countries there is a definition of a number of swimming levels that is reached in the process of the curriculum. The respective certificates of swimming tests are required for further training in aquatic abilities. Many countries have defined a minimum swimming level that children should reach by the end of primary education

Primary education

A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

, in most cases with the help of school swimming classes being part of the normal curriculum.

Children are often given swimming lessons, which serve to develop swimming technique and confidence. Children generally do not swim independently until 4 years of age.

School swimming

In many places, swimming lessons are provided by local swimming pool

Swimming pool

A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...

s, both those run by the local authority and by private leisure companies. Many schools also include swimming lessons into their Physical Education curricula, provided either in the schools' own pools, or in the nearest public pool.

In Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 and Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, the curriculum

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 for 11-year-olds in the fifth grade states that all children should learn how to swim as well as how to handle emergencies near water. Most commonly, children are expected to be able to swim 200 metres (220 yards) – of which at least 50 metres (55 yards) is on their back – after first falling into deep water and getting their head under water. Even though about 95 percent of Swedish school children know how to swim, drowning remains the third most common cause of death among children.

In both the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, swimming lessons during school time (schoolzwemmen, school swimming) are supported by the government. Most schools provide swimming lessons. There is a long tradition of swimming lessons in the Netherlands and in Belgium; the Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

 translation for the breaststroke

Breaststroke

The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...

 swimming style is schoolslag (schoolstroke). The children learn a variant of the breaststroke, which is technically not entirely correct.

In Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, school swimming ("Schulschwimmen") is part of the elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

 curriculum leading to the entry level certificate "Frühschwimmer" for about 90 percent of the children (a 95% goal set by the ministers for education with actual percentages ranging as low as 75% in some schools). About 50 percent reach a higher swimming level certificate during school swimming. In Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 most schools offer a swimming course, however only 70% of the students take part in it which has led to the "Schulschwimmen für alle“ petition in 2007. Unlike in Germany and Austria, a swimming test including a jump from the diving

Diving

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

 tower is common in Swiss schools.

In France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, school swimming ("natation scolaire") is part of the curriculum for physical education in the 2nd and 3rd grade in elementary school, or for children aged between 4 and 6 years of age. The aim is successful completion of entry into water then swimming for 50 metres, before floating for 10 seconds, then swimming on the front and on the back (for 10 metres each), ending with retrieval of an object from deep water of more than 2 metres.

In the UK, the "Top-ups scheme" calls for school children who cannot swim by the age of 11 to receive intensive daily lessons. These children who have not reached Great Britain's National Curriculum standard of swimming 25 metres by the time they leave primary school will be given a half-hour lesson every day for two weeks during term-time.

In Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 there has been a call for swimming to be included in the public school curriculum.

In Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, most swimming schools teach the SwimSafer Programme introduced by Singapore National Water Safety Council in July, 2010 with support from the Singapore Sports Council. The SwimSafer Programme combines instruction in swimming and life-saving skills.

Austria

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Österreichisches Wasserrettungswesen (working committee for water rescue in Austria) is a joint committee of private organizations and government bodies. They have defined four grade levels of swimming lessons that is used in school swimming.

The Entry level "Frühschwimmer" (early swimmer - the badge showing a penguin) requires jump from side, 25 meters of swimming and 5 rules of swimming.

The Level 1 "Freischwimmer" (free swimmer - the badge with one wave and a bronze pin) requires 15 minutes of swimming (at any style of choice), 1 meter jump into water, and 10 rules of swimming.

The Level 2 "Fahrtenschwimmer" (trail swimmer - the badge with two waves and a silver pin) requires 15 minutes of swimming, dive jump or jump from 3 meter height, 10 meter swimming underwater, pick up of a thick object from deep water (2 meter water and 2,5 kg weight), 50 meter of back crawl, and 10 rules of swimming.

The Level 3 "Allroundswimmer" (routine swimmer - the badge with one wave and gold pin) requires 200 meter continuous swimming (100 meter front crawl and 100 meter back crawl), sport swimming of 100 under 2:30 minutes, 10 meter swimming underwater after dive jump, pick up of a thick object from deep water (2 meter water and 2,5 kg weight), 50 meter of back crawl, 20 meter rescue swimming with a person of about the same weight, and 10 rules of swimming.

Additionally, the ÖWR water rescue organization has test for the "Jugendschwimmerschein" (youth swimmer certificate) including 50 meter of breast stroke under 1:05 minutes, 50 meter front crawl under 1 minute, 50 meter back crawl under 1:19 minute, description of lifeguard rules, 50 meter rescue swimming with anotherr person, 100 meter snorkel under 1:50 minute, 100 meter swimming with clothes.

Canada

In Canada, the Canadian Red Cross Swim program is commonly used, with over one million Canadians enrolling each year. Similar to the system set out by the American Red Cross, the Swim Kids program, for school-aged children, consists of ten levels that progress from basic, confidence-building skills to more complicated strokes and techniques.

Germany

The "Schwimmabzeichen" (swimming badge) is assigned in four levels - Entry, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The levels are defined by the Bundesverband zur Förderung der Schwimmausbildung (federal association for promotion of swimming lessons - assembling NGO associations) in coordination with the federal Kultusministerkonferenz

Kultusministerkonferenz

The Kultusministerkonferenz is the assembly of ministers for education of each Bundesland state in Germany...

 (assembly of the ministers for education of each Bundesland

States of Germany

Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...

-state).

The entry level "Frühschwimmer" (early swimmer) includes a swimming test where the student shows a jump from side, 25 meter swimming (free style), and pick up of an object underwater. The "Frühschwimmer" level is better known by its mascot "Seepferdchen" (seahorse

Seahorse

Seahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...

) shown on the badge with most people to call it the "Seepferdchen" certificate.

The bronze badge requires 200 meter of swimming in under 15 minutes (no style prescribed).

The silver badge requires 400 meter of swimming in under 12 minutes, pick up of an object from deep water (more than 2 meter), jump and dive from the side, and 10 meter swimming underwater.

The gold badge requires 1000 meter of swimming (under 24 minutes for males and under 29 minutes for females), sport swimming of 100 meter (under 1:50 for males and 2:00 for females), 100 meter back crawl, 50 meter rescue swimming, 15 meter swimming underwater, pick up of three objects from deep water (2 meters, under 3 minutes, max. 3 attempts).

Lifeguard certificates are defined separately by each organization - the entry level is "Junior-Retter" (junior rescuer) at the DLRG

DLRG

The Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft e.V. is a relief organization for life saving in Germany. The DLRG is a non-profit, independent organization based on volunteers.-Tasks:...

 (the largest aquatics life saving organization in the world) and "Juniorwasserretter" (junior water rescuer) at the Wasserwacht

Wasserwacht

The Wasserwacht is a German lifeguard service. It is one of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross. The Wasserwacht is a non-profit organization made up of on volunteers.- Tasks :The main task of the Wasserwacht is the prevention of drowning...

 (water rescue branch of the German Red Cross). Extended Lifeguard certificate grades can be obtained at three levels of the "Rettungsschwimmabzeichen" (rescue swimming badge) in bronze, silver and gold.

Singapore

SwimSafer programme works to help children learn how to swim and how to be safe in the water. This is a six-stages programme that works with a process that encourages kids to have fun and to learn at a pace that is right for them.

SwimSafer Stage 1: An Introduction to Water Skills
This part works to teach children how to become more confidence and how to become independent in the water. This is used as a means of making it easier for a child to feel more comfortable. A child can also learn about general water safety, how to enter and exit a pool and how to move back and forth in the water.

SwimSafer Stage 2: Fundamental Water Skills
This part of the process involves learning how to handle surface dives, sculling, water safety and awareness in the water. This also involves learning how to get into the water without any assistance. The programme encourages kids to learn how to swim twenty-five metres.

SwimSafer Stage 3: Personal Water Survival and Stroke Developmental Skills
Children will learn about how to survive in the water and how to handle different rescue skills. Sculling, underwater swimming and learning how to use a floatation device will be covered here. The goal of this part of the programme is to get a child to be able to swim fifty metres.

SwimSafer Bronze: Personal Water Survival and Stroke Improvement Skills
This is where the programme gets to be more advanced. At this point the child will learn how to work with stroking movements and coordinated breathing. Kids will be encouraged to get as far as a hundred metres in swimming. Kids will also learn how to handle watercraft in safe ways while continuing to work on rescue and survival skills.

SwimSafer Silver: Intermediate Personal Water Survival and Stroke Refinement Skills
Diving is introduced at this point. Advanced survival and rescue skills are also taught here. Advanced swimming strokes will also be taught at this point in the programme.

SwimSafer Gold: Advanced Personal Water Survival and Swimming Skills Proficiency
This is the last part of the progress. A student will need to be able to perform one's skills over the course of four hundred metres. Standing dive and survival skills will be taught along with advanced lifesaving processes. Water safety is also taught at this point.

.

Switzerland

In Switzerland the "Schwimmtests" (swimming tests) is not organized in levels - instead each ability is tested by itself and a number of test certificates are put in a group designation. The swimming tests are defined by "swimsports.ch" which is an association of swimming NGOs and the federal institute for sports (BASPO).

The Entry level has six tests "Ente" (duck), "Schwan" (swan), "Seehund" (seal), "Nilpferd" (hippo), "Schildkröte" (turtle) and Biber (beaver).

The Basic level has seven tests "Krebs" (crab), "Seepferd" (seahorse), "Frosch" (frog), "Pinguin" (penguin), "Tintenfisch" (cuttlefish), "Krokodil" (crocodile) and Eisbär (ice bear).

The Advanced level has eight tests "Wal" (whale), "Hecht" (pike), "Hai" (shark), "Delfin" (dolphin), and tests named 5 to 8 (no symbols assigned).

United Kingdom

Scotland

In Scotland swimming lessons are undertaken by pupils at an age 8 or 9 when the child is in Primary 5. These lessons take place during the school day. The Scottish Amateur Swimming Association - known as Scottish Swimming - has called for all young children to be entitled to free swimming lessons as they have been in England and Wales since the 1990s. Swimming lessons in Scotland have come under criticism because of the long waiting lists where in some counties there is a waiting list of up to 2000 children, or 1040 days . This has led to an increase of private swimming schools start up which are able to use private pools (as opposed to council run lessons only using council pools).

Lessons in Scotland generally follow two main award schemes, the STA (Swimming Teachers Association) or ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) award schemes. The council lessons tend to follow the ASA Award Scheme whilst private swimming lessons use either of them. There have been a number of high profile cases of private swimming lessons changing from ASA to STA, such as Discover Swimming Ltd. who have stated a necessity for such changes because of limitations to the ASA Award Scheme such as the ASA being too restrictive in what is able to be taught and also the ASA attempts to get all their swimmers to go towards club swimming. The STA also teaches about life-saving techniques in their lessons which the ASA largely ignore.
In England, by Key Stage 1 (Age 5-7) all pupils are expected to be able to swim 10 to 10 meters unaided. There is no provision for this in the Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence is the national curriculum for Scottish Schools for learners from age 3 to 18. It was developed out of a 2002 consultation exercise – the 'National Debate on Education' – undertaken by the Scottish Executive on the state of school education...

 in Scotland.

United States

In the United States, most swimming schools use the swimming levels "Learn To Swim" as defined by the American Red Cross.

• Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills

The student needs to get comfortable with water: this includes kicking, bobbing, underwater exploration, front and back floating and gliding with face in the water, open eyes under water.

• Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills

The student needs to swim 15 feet on front and back, submerge entire head, submerge and retrieve an object.

• Level 3: Stroke Development Skills

The student needs to swim 15 yards on front, back and crawl, also jump into deep water from side.

• Level 4: Stroke Improvement

Includes front and back crawl of 25 yards, butterfly and breaststroke of 15 yards, allowing for turns while swimming.

• Level 5: Stroke Refinement

All strokes should be shown at 25 yards, allow for flip turn, includes swimming underwater for 15 yards.

• Level 6: Skill Proficiency

The swimming test includes swimming continuously of 500 yards, including back and front crawl at 100 yards, plus 50 yards for each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and sidestroke. On top of this common swimming proficiency there are four swimming test variants for the Level 6 certificate: (A) Diving Basics - show a jump from the diving board; (B) Fitness Swimmer - demonstrate the use of training gear; (C) Lifeguard Readiness - submerge to deep water (minimum 7 feet); (D) Personal Water Safety - life jacket and boating rules.

Lifeguard certificates are obtained directly in courses of the American Red Cross. The course length varies with 30 to 37 hours for the four options of Pool Lifeguarding, Waterfront Lifeguarding, Waterpark Lifeguarding and Shallow Water Attendant..