Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 701

❓ Mr Staltari asks about participation rates in in-term swimming programs for pre-primary students in WA public schools from 2017-2024. The government declines to provide the data, citing resource constraints.

AnsweredQoN 701Legislative Assembly

Asked

9 September 2025

Member

Mr Liam Staltari

Portfolio

Education

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the in-term swimming program for students in pre-primary through to Year 7, and I ask: (a) In the school year 2024, how many pre-primary students at WA public schools took part in the in-term swimming program ; (b) What does the answer to (a) represent as a proportion of pre-primary students at WA public schools in that year; and (c) Please provide the equivalent answers to (a) and (b) for the following school years: (i) 2023; (ii) 2022; (iii) 2021; (iv) 2020; (v) 2019; (vi) 2018; and (vii) 2017?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

14 October 2025

Responded by

Minister for Education

Response time

6 days

Making sure children in Western Australia learn how to swim remains a key priority for the Cook Labor Government. Through our in-term swimming and VacSwim programs, the Department of Education provides the most comprehensive swimming and water safety programs in Australia, and the largest in the southern hemisphere.
The information requested is not readily available and collecting it would divert staff away from their important normal duties supporting schools, and it is not considered to be a reasonable or appropriate use of government resources.

View on Parliament of WA