AROUND 540 young people from the Wee County have already taken part in a national framework aiming to revolutionise water safety in schools.

The P5 pupils benefitted from the programme as the Wee County helped pilot the National Primary School Swimming Framework, which was officially launched last week to ensure children learn basic water safety and drowning prevention skills.

Clackmannanshire’s young people from the county’s 19 primaries have taken place in the swimming programme at The Peak in Stirling and at Dollar Academy from April to June – meanwhile plans are progressing for the Wellbeing Hub, including a swimming pool, in Alloa.

Developed by Scottish Swimming and supported by Scottish Water, the national framework has introduced standardised outcomes alongside innovative, flexible delivery models tailored to local needs to enhance the current school swimming provision.

Robbie Stewart, senior manager for sport and leisure at Clackmannanshire Council, said: “Ensuring children have the skills and knowledge to be safe around water is one of the most important lessons we can provide.

“This framework allows us to deliver high-quality water safety education in a flexible way that meets the specific needs of our local community.

“We've already seen students' confidence in the water grow tremendously through the engaging curriculum.

“Providing these foundational water safety skills at a young age could quite literally save lives.

“We look forward to continuing to partner on this vital initiative."

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The local authority was one of nine to help facilitate the framework’s pilot across 19 primary schools, reaching more than 540 pupils in the process.

The framework hopes to ensure all children have the chance to learn vital water safety skills, which may be their only opportunity for such education, and was launched during a Drowning Prevention Week event at Loch Lomond on June 19.

Euan Lowe, CEO at Scottish Swimming, added: "Our vision is that ‘everyone can swim’, and we believe that teaching primary school age children water safety skills is vital to this.

“The framework's flexible approach allows schools to adopt models best suited to their circumstances while delivering consistent skills and messaging in relation to water safety.

“Whether through a universal approach or targeted programmes for non-swimmers, we maintain core water safety principles.

“This collaborative effort with Scottish Water and the Scottish Government, sportscotland, and educational bodies underscores our commitment to making swimming accessible and safe for all children."