Switzerland faces a shortage of pools for school swimming lessons

At the start of every school year, the same problem returns: in several regions of Switzerland, there are not enough pools for swimming lessons. This is not just about sport or leisure: these facilities teach children to move safely in water, in a country rich in lakes and rivers. Not knowing how to swim can have more serious consequences than not knowing another sport, because in water a mistake can cost a life.

A study published at the end of 2024 found that 13% of Swiss students aged 13 to 15 have never taken a swimming course during their school years. One of the causes is the shortage of pools available for teaching.

Families who cannot afford it

Former elite swimmer Swann Oberson, now a physical education teacher, points out that some students go without swimming lessons for one, two or even three years in a row. "As long as children are not able to manage safely in water, it means we have failed in our mission," she says.

For Oberson, the problem worsens over time. Not all families can afford private lessons at a sports club, and those who cannot see their children fall further behind, year after year. In the worst cases, the former athlete warns, this gap in training can lead to accidents or drownings.

Building and running a pool requires substantial investment. In Cossonay, in the canton of Vaud, a new facility opened in 2021 cost more than 12 million francs. Larger projects, such as the Vaudoise Arena in Lausanne or the future aquatic centre planned in Fribourg over the next decade, require investments in the hundreds of millions of francs. For Oberson, this remains a service to the public.

In a system of direct democracy, such investments also depend on a popular vote. Last June, voters in the Sense district, in the canton of Fribourg, rejected a pool project estimated at 16 million francs.

For smaller municipalities, besides the costs of building and running a pool, transporting entire classes to available pools can also be a significant financial burden. Politically, it is considered unrealistic to set a legal requirement if it is clear it cannot be met everywhere due to a lack of infrastructure. The question remains open as to who should guarantee access to this basic skill for children whose families cannot otherwise afford it. According to Oberson, the priority for now is to make better use of existing pools.