It's about the same in Germany, swimming is part of the sports curriculum, and you have to pass. You're also encouraged to get certified for basic water rescue and things like that. Knowing how to swim is such a basic skill.
One thing I really like about German pools and something that makes me really nervous when watching Americans: non-swimmers and little children should not even be in the deep pool. Most facilities in the EU have a dedicated shallow non-swimmer pool - and then there's a separate deep pool for "serious" swimming. Many also have an extra pool for toddlers. I'm somewhat puzzled how in the US small children and people with inflatable toys are all sharing one big free-for-all deep pool with the adults.
That's the problem, in my opinion. If you're under a certain age or if you can't swim properly, you have no business being in a deep body of water.
One thing I really like about German pools and something that makes me really nervous when watching Americans: non-swimmers and little children should not even be in the deep pool. Most facilities in the EU have a dedicated shallow non-swimmer pool - and then there's a separate deep pool for "serious" swimming. Many also have an extra pool for toddlers. I'm somewhat puzzled how in the US small children and people with inflatable toys are all sharing one big free-for-all deep pool with the adults.
That's the problem, in my opinion. If you're under a certain age or if you can't swim properly, you have no business being in a deep body of water.