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Online schooling is the new normal as the world grapples with COVID-19, but some parents have taken exception to swimming lessons being conducted virtually.

"My daughter have virtual swimming lessons on a mat in the living room. Swimming classes lasted for 30 minutes. They did warm up, jumping jacks and stretches," one parent wrote on social media. Under that comment, others complained that other physical education activities being taught virtually were impractical.

Two swim coaches say that while some aspects of the discipline could be taught online, there are limitations.

Teddy Hayes, swimming coach for a Corporate Area preparatory school, told THE WEEKEND STAR that he is currently having virtual swimming classes with his students.

"The students get a bowl or a pan of water and they're practising holding their breaths. But you need something where they can move their arms and legs and do strokes, freestyles and so on," he said. Hayes said that students may learn the basics of swimming virtually, but this would not allow them to learn the art of swimming itself.

Different aquatic events

"They will have knowledge of the strokes and the different aquatic events that you show them. That will help a little bit. They will get the basic acclimatisation like the starfish float, the jellyfish float, but not the actual swimming," he said, noting that parents are not being charged for these lessons. He is hoping to have the students meet at a pool, so they can experience the real thing.

"On the class list this year, they have 47 students. We can split them in three groups with like three instructors taking 10 of them each. It can work with social distancing," he said. "I don't think you can just show them the thing online and then they go in and do it. You can't do synchronised swimming and all those things just by getting it online. Everybody would've been doing that long time."

Meanwhile, Rory Alvaranga, head coach of the Kaizen Swim Club, told THE WEEKEND STAR that students can be taught various lessons virtually where swimming is concerned but not for them to actually swim.

"Swimming starts with the safety procedures of the pool. These are things that can be pool rules, how to safely enter the pool and you can demonstrate kicking drills and you can teach the proper biomechanics of swimming. There's a number of things you can do online, but I don't think it's for the child to be able to swim," he said.