The significance of swimming skills in Sweden : An analysis of Swedish Physical Education syllabi in regard to swimming ability in compulsory and upper secondary schools

Sammanfattning: Introduction: In Sweden, it is vital that children acquire swimming ability at an early age because of the easy access to the sea, rivers, lakes, and swimming pools. Swimming ability is a life skill necessary for conducting outdoor life safely and using nature as an arena for recreation both near and in the water. Therefore, over the past century, swimming and water safety have been an essential part of the Swedish Physical Education (PE) subject to increase the likelihood that students will be able to save themselves and others from drowning. Aims: The aim of this investigation is to provide a greater understanding of the ways in which swimming ability has been described in Swedish PE syllabi for compulsory and upper secondary schools from 1962 to 2020.  Materials and methods: Discourse analysis (DA) has been used to analyze the Swedish PE syllabi from 1962 to 2020. Theoretical framework: This study is inspired in a Foucauldian genealogy perspective.  Results: Two main result categories were constructed from the analysis. (a) Swimming education has been present in all PE syllabi for compulsory school since 1962. These syllabi note that outdoor life, lifesaving, and swimming skills overlap and reinforce one another and suggest that swimming is an important part of Swedish culture. However, since 1994, the Physical Education and Health (PEH) syllabus for upper secondary school omits swimming skills from its content. (b) Swimming ability has a prominent position in the most recent (2011) PEH syllabus for elementary schools. Nevertheless, it is excluded from the 2011 PEH syllabus for upper secondary schools.Discussion Even though swimming ability is vital for safely conducting outdoor life and using nature as an arena for physical activity, as shown in the latest PEH syllabus, it has been excluded from current upper secondary education. Conclusion: The exclusion of swimming ability from upper secondary school syllabi may mean that some students, such as newly arrived students who migrate to Sweden, are denied opportunities to learn to swim and be safe close to and in the water.