The Goal Is Safety. The Method Matters.
A global campaign by swim teachers — for every child who deserves better.
What this is
We believe in water safety.
We have given our careers to it. We have spent years in pools, learning how children learn, understanding what builds real confidence in water and what destroys it.
And we are here to say — clearly, publicly, together — that some of the methods being used in the name of water safety need to stop.
We are talking about the programmes that flip small children upside down. That push babies and toddlers underwater by force. That cover a child's head and put them in the pool. That ignore screaming and call it progress.
Child development science does not support these methods. They cause harm that can follow a child for years. And they are not necessary to teach water safety well.
There is a better way. There always has been.
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On World Drowning Prevention Day — 25th July 2025 — swim teachers from around the world are standing together and saying:
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The Goal Is Safety. The Method Matters.
This is for you if...
✔ You are a swim teacher who believes in doing right by children
✔ You have seen methods used on small children that did not sit right with you
✔ You want to add your professional voice to a conversation that needs more voices
✔ You believe the swimming industry can and must do better
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This campaign is teacher-led. Parent-supported. Child-centred.
Campaign Pillars
These are the three things the campaign always comes back to.
The skill is right.
The forced method is not.
We are not anti-water safety. We are pro-child. Teaching children to be safe in water is vital. But the method used to teach it changes everything.
Swim teachers know better.
The people best placed to lead this change are the teachers already doing it well. This campaign amplifies their voices.
World Drowning Prevention Day is about saving lives — and so is this.
Preventing drowning means preventing the methods that make children afraid of water for life. Prevention has to start with the method.
The Pledge
I am a swim teacher. And I am taking a stand.
I believe water safety is one of the most important things we can give a child.
I also believe that the method we use to teach it matters — for the child in front of us, for their relationship with water, and for the reputation of our profession.
I do not support the use of forced, fear-based methods in infant and toddler aquatic education. I do not support flipping small children upside down against their will. I do not support pushing children underwater by force. I do not support covering a child's head and placing them into the water. I do not support ignoring a child's distress signals and calling it teaching.
These methods are not supported by child development science. They cause harm that can follow a child for years. And they are not necessary to teach water safety well.
I believe in a better way. A way that respects the child's developing brain, honours their distress signals, involves their caregivers, and builds genuine confidence — not conditioned fear.
I am adding my name to this campaign because I believe our profession can and must do better.
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The Goal Is Safety. The Method Matters.
How to join
01
Sign the Pledge
02
Film a Video
03
Share the Campaign
Who is behind this?
Helen Hughes is the founder of Mini Water Adventurers and has spent thirty years in aquatic education. She is the author of four books on child-centred swimming practice and has trained swim teachers across the UK, Singapore, and beyond.
She is not anti-water safety.
She is pro-child. Pro-evidence. And done with staying quiet.
"I have watched these methods for over two decades. The science is clear. The harm is real. And enough swim teachers around the world agree that it is time to say so — together, loudly, and with our names attached."
— Helen Hughes, Mini Water Adventurers
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I have to be a qualified swim teacher to sign?
Yes. This campaign is led by swimming professionals. We are asking for your name, country, and years of experience because your professional voice is what gives this campaign its power.
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I work for a school that uses some of these methods. Can I still sign? Yes. You do not need to name your employer. Many teachers feel uneasy about practices they have witnessed and want to add their voice without putting their job at risk. Your name, country, and years of teaching is all we ask for.
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Do I have to film a video to be part of the campaign?
No. Signing the pledge is enough. The video is optional — but the more teachers who film, the more powerful the campaign video will be on 25th July.
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What will happen to my video?
Your video will be edited into a compiled campaign video released on World Drowning Prevention Day. It will also be shared on Mini Water Adventurers' social media channels. By submitting you give permission for this use. If you have any concerns about how you are credited, please contact us.
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I am not based in the UK. Can I still join?
Absolutely. This campaign is global. We want teachers from every country, every background, and every aquatic context. The more international this is, the stronger the message.
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I teach older children, not infants. Is this relevant to me? Yes. The campaign focuses on the methods used with very young children, but the principle — that how we teach matters as much as what we teach — applies across all aquatic education.
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Will this campaign name specific swim schools?
No. The campaign is not about attacking individual schools or teachers. It is about the practices, not the names. Our aim is to shift standards across the industry — not to generate personal attacks.
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Can parents sign too? Parents can share and support the campaign, but the pledge itself is for swimming professionals. Their voice carries a different and important weight. If you are a parent who wants to show support, please share the campaign page and the campaign posts.
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I have more questions. Contact us