Industry News
School pupils 'should pass swim test'
Posted on 30th August 2007
A coroner has called for children taking part in school adventure holidays abroad to be required to pass a swimming test.
Anne Pember, the Northamptonshire coroner, made her comments following an inquest into the death of a pupil while swimming during a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition to Ecuador.
Ms Pember said she would be contacting the scheme and other organisations which licence adventure holidays, after it was revealed that the consent form for the trip required confirmation that a child could swim 50 metres.
"I shall ask that they notify companies organising expeditions where open swimming and river swimming is a possible activity they should consider testing pupils' swimming abilities and water confidence," she remarked.
Last month, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that personal accident compensation paid out by schools in England totalled £2 million in 2006, the Times reports.