Town of Victoria Park swim school bans teachers from accepting gifts from swimmers

‘tis the season for giving — just don’t tell the learn-to-swim kids at Aqualife in Victoria Park.

Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, the swim school is saying no to the spread of festive cheer with new rules banning teachers from accepting gifts from young swimmers.

Aqualife has told families who want to thank their swim teacher that they should “resist” from bringing them a gift and instead sign cut-out decorations available from the centre’s reception and place them on the Christmas tree display.

The council-run swim school’s instructors fall under the control of the Town of Victoria Park’s new code of conduct, which has re-set limits around gifts for employees.

Previously, all council employees were allowed to accept gifts of up to $50, meaning there was no issue for children to give their favourite swim teacher a box of chocolates or a tray of homemade biscuits.

“With the Town recently implementing its new code of conduct, swim teachers are no longer allowed to accept any sort of gift from any families or swimmers,” an email from Aqualife to swim-school families stated.

Olympic gold medalist turned swim teacher Bill Kirby said teachers deserved all the praise and gifts they get.

“We fully support the giving of gifts to swimming teachers that do a great job in keeping kids safer and more confident in and around the water,” he said.

“Teaching is such a special and impactful vocation requiring huge amounts energy, empathy and patience — it is so nice to see parents and kids show their appreciation to our amazing teachers at this special time of year.”

Mr Kirby runs swim schools at five locations including Claremont Aquatic Centre and Christ Church Grammar School.

One of his instructors, Sabrina Bullock, said gifts from students were often thoughtful Christmas cards or boxes of chocolates.

For Swanbourne seven-year-old Markus Nordstrom and his siblings, thanking their swim teacher with a gift has become the norm in their three years of doing lessons.

Classroom teachers and staff at government schools are allowed to accept minor gifts from students or parents, but must declare any valued over $100.

The Town of Cambridge — which runs a swim academy at Bold Park Aquatic Centre — told its staff in January 2019 they no longer could accept any gifts or hospitality as part of their employment.

Some other council-owned pools contract swim instruction services to groups such as Kirby Swim School, meaning gift-giving at those centres is not subject to the same level of scrutiny.

Most other swim schools contacted by PerthNow allow teachers to accept gifts during Christmas.

Victoria Park’s code of conduct was modified in July and affected all Town employees.

The Town said all its current swim staff were aware of its no gift receiving policy.

Its Christmas crush comes as a shortage of swim instructors across WA has forced at least eight public schools to scrap swimming lessons for 2022.

Victoria Park CEO Anthony Vuleta said feedback from teachers and families so far had been “minimal”.

“Any concerns with the updated code of conduct are being considered internally,” he said.