Five Te Tai Poutini West Coast schools recently plunged into a week-long beach education programme, arming tamariki with vital water safety skills.

The programme, coordinated by Sport Canterbury’s Mel Packham and delivered by Surf Life Saving NZ Canterbury, included classroom education, active games and beach observations - culminating in a supervised swim in the sea.

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Each of the five schools - Cobden, Blaketown, Runanga, Kaniere and Barrytown - underwent a full day of education.

With the help of whānau, lifesavers and Packham – assisted by Sport Canterbury’s Isaac Sutherland and Jack O’Connor – students safely experienced the challenging sea conditions.

Packham, Sport Canterbury West Coast’s Healthy Active Learning Advisor, emphasises the importance of the initiative.

“We all know that the West Coast beaches can be dangerous and are forever changing so we wanted to give the tamariki knowledge on how to keep themselves safe,” she says.

Packham says the programme, funded by Sport Canterbury, was created in response to feedback from the children, many of whom regularly swim in the sea or play in the waves.

The education sessions covered crucial topics such as understanding the power of the sea, waves, currents, forces, rips, and how to read the ocean to determine safe swimming spots.

Packham says the initiative provided lifelong learning experiences and strengthened the connection between Sport Canterbury and the local school communities. The involvement of Surf Life Saving NZ from Ōtautahi Christchurch added an extra layer of expertise and support to the programme.

By the end of the week, students had gained valuable knowledge and hands-on experience, making them better prepared to enjoy the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable Te Tai Poutini West Coast beaches safely.

“With an extensive coastline on the Tasman Sea, our water attracts swimmers and beach activities all year round, so our tamariki must have the skills to navigate the space safely,” says O’Connor, Sport Canterbury’s West Coast Regional Manager.

“It’s exciting to deliver lifelong learning education outside the classroom experiences while enhancing Sport Canterbury school and community connection.”

In the week following the programme, encouraging results were revealed from the feedback collected. Packham says the children successfully retained the key messages. 

"Both staff and students have expressed a strong desire to see initiatives like this become an annual occurrence."

Article added: Wednesday 11 December 2024