Swimming champion Libby Trickett is calling for government subsidies on youth swimming lessons.

The state government’s mandatory swimming education program first copped flak this week from Ariarne Titmus’ father, Steve Titmus, who doubts it’s doing enough to teach kids critical water skills.

“I mean, if my child’s school is anything to go by, she does three weeks of two lessons a week,” Libby Trickett told Luke Bradnam on 4BC Summer Breakfast.

“It’s three weeks! What is she going to learn in three weeks?”

While Trickett’s had her daughters taking swimming lessons since they were eight weeks old, she’s concerned other parents aren’t able to do the same.

“We need to have it in our schools, I think that is an absolute priority, but also, I think the government needs to subsidise swimming lessons from a very young age.

“A lot of parents don’t know how to swim or aren’t confident, don’t know how to hold babies or teach that level of calmness in the water.”

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Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images