Learn to swim in the summer.
(Baonghean.vn) -Enrolling children in swimming lessons is a popular choice for many parents during the summer. It's considered a fun and healthy activity for children, and more importantly, this skill will help keep them safe when visiting places with rivers and streams.
Enrolling children in swimming lessons is a popular choice for many parents during the summer, with the hope of developing skills to prevent drowning accidents and improve their children's overall health. In Vinh City, parents can easily find swimming lessons for their children at places like Quang Sen pool (in Hung Phuc ward), Military Zone VI pool, Nguyen Tat Thanh Park, etc. Lessons can be private or group.
"Want to learn to swim quickly? One teacher, one student." Ms. Le Hong Minh (Mau Don hamlet, Hung Loc commune) affirmed this. At the beginning of June, she enrolled her child in a special one-on-one swimming class, and the results were visible from the fourth lesson. "In the first lesson, the teacher praised my daughter Bong for learning quickly and saying she would swim much better than many children her age without needing much time to learn. By the fourth lesson, Bong was very happy gliding back and forth in the pool using the common breaststroke from beginning to end." Lacking the time to take her child to swimming lessons throughout the summer months, Ms. Hong Minh decided on a "quick and easy" approach for Bong's swimming lessons, after consulting with friends who had enrolled their children in general swimming classes...
Posing as parents looking for swimming lessons for their children, we were advised by an employee at Quang Sen Swimming Pool (Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City): "If your family can afford it, you should register your child for a special swimming class with 5-10 students. The course has no limit on the number of sessions, so the teacher can closely supervise each student, guaranteeing that they will be able to swim proficiently by the end. The tuition fee is 1.2-1.5 million VND per course (depending on the teacher). If you want a cheaper option, there's a course of 20 sessions for 600,000 VND, with class sizes ranging from 15-20 students per class. The club does not refund tuition fees after registration." When we asked about the teacher's qualifications, the employee simply replied: "They are teachers from the pool." Seeing my hesitation, the employee added: "Currently, the swimming classes are very crowded. If you don't hurry, you might not be able to register for a class next week."
Leaving Quang Sen swimming pool, we went to the Military Region VI swimming pool. Tuition fees here are also divided into two levels: 500,000 VND per 20-session course for regular classes and 1,500,000 VND for special classes. In special classes, students learn in a one-on-one format, with one instructor guiding 3-5 students. Class times are flexible, with each session lasting no more than 2 hours, and lessons continue until students master various swimming styles. At Nguyen Tat Thanh Park swimming pool, swimming lessons are priced at a flat rate of 500,000 VND per course (15 sessions)... Some parents with better financial means choose swimming lessons at large hotels with covered areas, clean water, low chlorine levels, and fewer people; however, the tuition fees at these locations are significantly higher, ranging from 2.5 to 3 million VND per child per course. In addition to the above amount, parents must also purchase entrance tickets to the pool for themselves and for the teacher.
A swimming lesson for children at the Military Region IV swimming pool (Vinh City).
One common point is that in most swimming classes, teachers guarantee that 100% of children will know how to swim after completing the course. Mr. Le Nam, a swimming instructor at the Military Region VI swimming pool, said: "Parents' awareness of the importance of swimming for their children's health, physical development, and drowning prevention is increasing, so the number of students participating is growing. Previously, the club only organized 2 to 4 sessions per day, but for almost a month now, the club has added 8 sessions per day, each with about 10-15 students, lasting 1 hour. Morning sessions are from 5 am to 8 am, and afternoon sessions are from 4 pm to 8 pm. Not only children, but more and more adults (mainly office workers) are also registering for swimming lessons."
Compared to children, teaching adults to swim is always more difficult and time-consuming because their leg and arm joints are not as agile and flexible as those of young children. This is also the main reason why swimming lessons for adults are usually more expensive than for children. Learning to swim requires many factors, not only depending on the learner's health but also on choosing the right location and instructor. In large classes, instructors often have very little time to correct students' movements. The speed of learning to swim varies from person to person; for young children, parents should not expect them to swim like professional athletes after completing a course. Most swimming pools teach from beginner level, promising that after the course, students will know how to hold their breath and stay afloat, but not necessarily that they will be proficient swimmers.
Besides reputable swimming pool addresses, parents are now also influenced by many advertisements with content like "cheapest swimming lessons in Vinh City," "learn to swim proficiently in just one month," etc. However, according to a manager at Nguyen Tat Thanh Park swimming pool, most of these advertisements originate from amateur swimming instructors who purchase long-term swimming passes at well-known swimming pools in the city. When students register, both parties agree on the tuition fee and lesson schedule according to the pool's pre-designed swimming sessions. Both parties purchase swimming passes daily or monthly. Outsiders can easily mistake the teacher and student for a blood relationship, making it very difficult for management staff to intervene in the teaching process. Although the tuition fee is cheap, the quality and effectiveness of teaching are very inconsistent. When incidents occur, the students are the ones who suffer the most.
"There have been a few cases here where parents bringing their children to swimming lessons complained to us about the quality of instruction not matching the initial advertisements, overcrowded classes, etc. But as the venue rental company, we are only responsible for water hygiene, fluoride levels in the pool, sunshades, etc. Beyond that, the remaining issues are subject to personal agreements between the instructor and the students; the swimming pool cannot control them," said a swimming pool manager.
According to experts, summer weather is often unpredictable. Parents should only enroll their children in swimming lessons as a form of extracurricular activity, combining entertainment and health benefits. The best times to learn to swim are between 7 and 9 AM and 3 and 5 PM. Swimming lessons should be avoided during the hottest part of the day, as this can easily lead to dehydration and negatively impact students' health. Before entering the pool, children should have a light snack such as biscuits, milk, or fruit 40-60 minutes beforehand to boost their energy for the entire training session. Parents should not enroll their children in swimming lessons simply because it's trendy, but rather based on their child's interests, psychology, and health to choose a suitable summer activity that ensures a fun and beneficial summer for them.
Text and photos: Ngoc Anh
