Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 June 2026
92. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department works with swimming and water safety organisations to provide water safety advice in schools; and if there are any plans to introduce such provision. [44364/26]
View answerThe Wellbeing specification emphasises teacher agency and empowers teachers to make informed decisions within the parameters of the curriculum. Learning Outcomes are intentionally broad to enable teachers to be responsive to and take account of the needs and interests of children in their context. This means that there are many opportunities to include learning related to water safety contexts.
This is reflected firstly in the aims. A core aim of the Wellbeing specification is to Instil a strong sense of strong sense of personal and collective safety, to enable children to develop an increasing sense of personal and collective safety, exploring a variety of safety issues and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to protect themselves from harm. Specific safety issues are not named to enable teachers to address safety concerns that are relevant to the children in their context. These may include water safety as well as fire safety; farm safety; road safety; and so on.
The main area of learning on Safety is in the Strand Unit: Safety, as part of the Health strand. The relevant Learning Outcomes are:
• Stage 1 and 2 (Junior infants – second class): Demonstrate an understanding of and appreciation for basic safety rules and practices. Identify and mitigate unsafe or risky situations and behaviours, prioritising accident prevention and practising/adopting appropriate safety strategies.
• Stage 3 and 4: (third – sixth class): appreciate the importance of safety rules and practices in movement and other contexts. Assess risks, identify unsafe situations and behaviours, and practise/adopt appropriate safety strategies. Demonstrate increasing confidence and personal responsibility toward accident prevention.
Stemming from the aims of the specification, these Learning Outcomes support children to develop the capacity to stay safe in a variety of contexts, which can include water safety. Across the stages, this learning might include understanding safety signs and spotting potential dangers/risks (such as water, electricity, slurry, machinery, animals, chemicals etc.).
The Strand Unit: Making choices supports children to develop decision-making skills. In a water-safety context, this might include considering the consequences of behaviours such as playing near deep water. This supports children to foster a sense of personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.
Water-safety also features under the Physical Education activity area Aquatics, within the Wellbeing specification. Aquatics aims to provide children with water and land-based learning to develop essential safety skills depending on access to suitable environments, transport and qualified instructors. Where possible, children learn about safety, buoyancy, stroke development and self-rescue skill. An emphasis is placed on building confidence through play.
