Is school swimming mandatory in the Netherlands?

No. Since 1985, school swimming is no longer mandatory. Schools and municipalities decide themselves whether to offer it, and fewer and fewer municipalities do.

Do I have to arrange swimming lessons myself if my municipality stops school swimming?

Yes. School swimming is usually too short to make a child water safe, so structured swimming lessons remain necessary. Arrange a swim school yourself and track progress.

Why does a municipality stop school swimming?

Usually because of costs. School swimming for all children would cost an estimated 129 to 212 million euros per year, which does not fit every municipal budget.

My child only had school swimming. Can they swim then?

Probably not fully. School swimming is an introduction, not a replacement for structured swimming lessons. Have your child tested at a swim school.

How do I track if my child is progressing without school swimming?

With a student tracking system or app, you follow where your child stands per level and per exercise. This way you see exactly what works and what still needs attention.

What does swimming lessons cost now that I have to arrange it myself?

That varies per swim school and region. Besides price, also compare group size and insight into progress, and check if there is a scheme or fund in your municipality.

Are swim schools getting more enrollments now that school swimming disappears?

Yes, the demand for regular swimming lessons is growing in municipalities that stop school swimming. A free student tracking system helps to guide these extra students clearly.

How can I as a swim school respond to the disappearance of school swimming?

Approach schools and municipalities with an offer for school swimming replacement, and make your progress transparent for parents. Free tools like Swimmigo make this easy without extra costs.

School Swimming Disappears: How to Ensure Your Child Still Learns to Swim [2026]

The letter from the municipality is clear: no more school swimming from next school year. Or your municipality has already removed it years ago. That leaves one question: who will teach my child to swim now, and will it be safe in the water?

School swimming has been disappearing from the Netherlands for years. This is not just a local inconvenience, but a development other countries are also struggling with. Fortunately, as a parent, you can do something about it yourself, and it's easier than you think.

School Swimming Disappears: The Numbers

From Mandatory Subject to Free Choice

Until 1985, school swimming was mandatory. After that, the choice was up to schools and municipalities, and since then one municipality after another has withdrawn. The Mulier Institute has been monitoring this development for years through research.

Fewer and Fewer Municipalities Participate

In 2020, one third of municipalities still supported school swimming. Four years later, that is only 23 percent, according to research among Dutch municipalities. The majority of municipalities that currently offer nothing expect no change. The trend has not yet reversed.

More and More Children Without a Diploma

This retreat is reflected in the diplomas. In 2022, 13 percent of children aged 6 to 16 had no swimming diploma at all, more than double the number in 2018. Among children with a migration background, this rises to 28 percent. The Mulier Institute calls this doubling worrying.

Measurement	Figure
Municipalities with school swimming, 2020	33 percent
Municipalities with school swimming, 2024	23 percent
Children aged 6 to 16 without swimming diploma, 2022	13 percent
Children with migration background without swimming diploma, 2022	28 percent

Why This Is a Safety Issue

Drowning Is a Major Cause of Death Worldwide

Those who dismiss school swimming as a convenience service underestimate the problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) counts about 300,000 drownings worldwide each year. Drowning is the third leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 14 and the fourth among children aged 1 to 4.

Those Without Swimming Lessons Are at Greater Risk

This risk is not evenly distributed. Children with a migration background in the Netherlands have a 9 to 10 times greater chance of drowning, according to CBS. Worldwide, 92 percent of drownings occur in low- or middle-income countries. The pattern is the same everywhere: those who do not receive swimming lessons are more vulnerable, in any water and any country.

Swimming Lessons Are Proven Effective Prevention

Swimming lessons are not a luxury. The WHO calls teaching basic swimming skills to school-age children one of the most effective ways to prevent drowning. The organization calculated that teaching swimming skills worldwide could prevent 774,000 drownings between now and 2050. This makes swimming lessons one of the best substantiated investments in child safety.

What You Can Do as a Parent When School Swimming Disappears

First Check If There Is Still a Program

Not every municipality has stopped. Some municipalities offer school swimming for specific target groups, for example children without a diploma or neighborhoods where many children cannot swim. Call the school or municipality and ask what is still possible before arranging something yourself.

Choose a Swim School That Fits Your Child

Without school swimming, the regular swim school becomes more important. Don't just look at the price, but also at group size, the experience of instructors, and whether you as a parent get insight into progress. A swim school that tracks where your child stands per exercise gives you support.

School Swimming Was Rarely Enough

Important to know: school swimming was usually an introduction, not a full swimming lesson. Most school swimming programs lasted too short to make a child truly water safe. A child only really learns to swim with structured lessons and repetition. Even with school swimming, extra swimming lessons were often already needed.

How to Keep Control Over Swimming Lesson Progress Yourself

Track Progress by Level and Exercise

As a parent, you only see part of the lesson from the stands. With an app like Swimmigo, you can follow where your child stands per level and per exercise, from water familiarization to diploma. You see exactly what already works and what still needs attention, without having to call every week.

Practice at Home and in the Outdoor Pool

Swimming skills grow faster if you practice between lessons. On vacation, in the outdoor pool, or while traveling in open water: a vacation mode where you check off exercises yourself maintains progress and makes swimming a habit.

Celebrate Every Milestone with a Certificate

A child without school swimming also misses the ritual of diploma awarding. A free swimming certificate per level, and from level 5 a truly personalized diploma, gives your child something to be proud of and keeps motivation up until the end.

Child playing in the pool while a parent watches from the edge

Will School Swimming Return?

Politics Wants It, But Is Scared of the Cost

The discussion is alive. A majority of Dutch people believe, according to the National Sports Survey 2024, that school swimming should be mandatory, and the House of Representatives voted in 2024 for a motion to put school swimming back on the curriculum. The cabinet later scrapped it, partly due to costs. Reintroducing it for all children would cost between 129 and 212 million euros per year, depending on the level.

Don't Wait for The Hague

Even if school swimming returns, it will take years. Your child needs swimming lessons now. The responsibility lies, as unfair as it feels, with you for the time being. The good news: arranging swimming lessons and tracking progress nowadays takes just an afternoon.

Conclusion

School swimming is disappearing from more and more municipalities, and with it a safety net that made many children water safe. Those who do not want to depend on politics arrange swimming lessons themselves and track progress. Then it doesn't matter whether the school participates: your child learns to swim, and that's exactly what matters.

Discover more: Swimmigo for parents, for swim schools, the swimming levels, or the student tracking system.

SchoolSwimmingDisappears:HowtoEnsureYourChildStillLearnstoSwim[2026]

Summary