Swimming instructors trained to curb school drownings

Many Ugandan schools charge parents for swimming lessons, yet few provide formal instruction.

Instead, children participate in water play and recreational activities such as splashing and wading, often supervised by untrained guards.

While water play is valued in early childhood education for its developmental benefits, most students complete primary school without acquiring swimming skills, contrary to parents' expectations.

For this reason, the Life-Saving Association in Uganda has begun training swimming instructors to ensure that qualified professionals teach students, particularly in primary schools. The goal is for all students to acquire essential swimming and water safety skills before completing primary school.

On Saturday, a five-day-a-week course conducted by George William Mukasa, President of the Life-Saving Association, concluded at the Lloli Fun Park swimming pool in Kyebando, with 20 participants earning certification.

Organised in conjunction with Lupai Investments, dealers in swimming pool chemicals and water treatment, the participants were imparted with the knowledge and skills needed to offer proper instruction.

"Most of the time we've seen children going for swimming, but they really don't learn properly. And some of them drown, assuming they know how to swim, but they don't know. So, our organisation, in association with other stakeholders, have embarked on this initiative to ensure professional teachers teach children in the 12 weeks of a term to know how to swim and survive," Mukasa said.

He said this was also done to mark World Drowning Prevention Day this month, which falls on July 25, and serves as a reminder that drowning is killing children below the age of 14. "So, we need to start now to make sure the teachers are professional. Previously, our organisation has been dealing with teaching lifeguards and lifesavers, some of whom are doubling as teachers, and they don't know how to teach swimming and survival skills. So, we started with this first group in Kampala, and we shall have another for the local schools when they get the holidays."

Mukasa said they will also reach out to teach teachers and lifeguards in the Northern, Eastern, and Western Regions to deliver formal swimming lessons in 12 lessons—equivalent to 12 weeks of a school term—something that has never happened in Uganda. This initiative is part of broader efforts to mitigate drowning, alongside other measures such as barriers, supervision, awareness, and sensitisation.

"So, we're going to cover the whole country as an association to ensure that the teachers are professional in teaching swimming," Mukasa stated.

He explained that the training covered how to introduce swimming, develop a long-term swimming plan, create a scheme of work, and draft lesson plans to ensure constructive learning, especially after Primary Seven.

"We've taught them fundamentals of teaching basic survival skills, swimming freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and some butterfly for those that are really progressing. So that also gives room for Uganda Aquatics to pick up people that can go and compete, from basic survival skills to elite swimming. So, we've formed the basis of the mainstream swimming in Uganda by teaching and starting up the basics of swimming, which is also doubling as a survival skill."

The president of the Life-Saving Association George William Mukasa (left) takes one of the teachers through a practical session during the five-day course at the at the Lloli Fun Park swimming pool in Kyebando, July 10, 2026. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Mukasa explained that the project is a collaborative initiative between the Lifesaving Association Uganda, Lupai Investments, and the Llori Park swimming pool, supported by individuals committed to promoting swimming skills. He emphasised that drowning prevention is a shared responsibility and cannot be addressed by a single organisation or by waiting for government intervention.

James Taban Lupai, the chief operations officer of Lupai Investments, said they supported the course because they also want to ensure that teachers can determine whether the pools they use are safe for swimmers and that swimmers are well treated. "Is the chlorine ideal? Is the pH ideal? All this is what they have to determine."

Participant Joseph Leni found the training valuable, shifting the perception of swimming from a luxury to an essential life skill, crucial for personal safety and potentially saving others. He acquired practical skills such as backstroke and floating, along with pool safety rules.

Emmanuel Balinda, team lead of the African Institute for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention, praised the program's focus on class setup, risk management, and progressive teaching methods for children. The training also emphasised comprehensive water safety and drowning prevention education that goes beyond just swimming. Balinda believes this knowledge will empower trainers to impart vital safety skills to children.

Chantelle Patricia Rukundo from Makerere University Business School and Shine Akankunda found the course valuable. Beyond their swimming pool knowledge, they developed coordination and teamwork skills, which were crucial for their swimming coach training. They learned effective communication, how to understand diverse learners, and how to foster comfort. The course also covered risk management, pool maintenance, water safety, and pool chemicals, as presented by Lupai.