Peer-reviewed article

Reading, writing and drowning prevention in schools? Barriers and facilitators to implementing water safety programming in public schools.

Miriam G Clark, Katherine Pears · 9 Oct 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Swimming lessons and water safety instruction are important drowning prevention tools, yet many children lack access to such programming. Water safety activists often advocate for public schools to implement water safety education, yet no published research has examined barriers and facilitators to such programming. The current study is the first to ask public school district administrators (the key stakeholders who would be overseeing programme implementation) what barriers and facilitators they face to implementing water safety education. METHODS: Administrators from all 321 public school districts in the US state of Washington were invited to participate in an online survey that asked both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding whether their districts currently implement water safety curriculum, details about programmes being implemented, barriers to potential implementation and interest levels in a state-supported water safety curriculum. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and manual coding of open-ended responses. Administrators from 90 districts participated. RESULTS: Most districts were neither implementing water safety programmes nor had plans to do so. Participants cited barriers such as lack of funding, time and buy-in from key stakeholders, as well as distance from pools. Facilitators that allowed for implementation in some schools were stakeholder buy-in and partnerships with community agencies. District demographic characteristics were not associated with water safety implementation. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight significant barriers in many districts that prevent the widespread implementation of water safety education in schools and the need to examine how to address these barriers.