Why did the school swimming program fail?

Recently, although it is only the beginning of summer, child drowning has been occurring continuously across the country. In the first 10 days of May alone, there have been many tragic drowning incidents, claiming the lives of many children.

Typical cases include: 3 first graders drowned in a canal on May 6 in Long An; 4 female 7th graders drowned on May 4 in Khanh Hoa; 3 11th graders died while swimming in the sea in Nam Dinh on May 8... Previously, on April 15, a mass drowning incident occurred in Quang Ngai, killing 9 6th graders.

Public opinion believes that teaching swimming to students in schools is not given much attention, children do not have access to swimming pools and are not equipped with survival skills in water, causing tragic drowning incidents to occur continuously. However, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan emphasized that there are many ways to help children learn to swim, not necessarily swimming pools.

Illustration photo.

The project to teach swimming to students in schools failed.

Regarding teaching swimming to children in schools, especially primary and secondary schools, Mr. Duong Van Ba, Deputy Head of the Department of Students, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), said that the education and training sector has directed this work strongly, as well as implemented quite strongly the models. In the physical education program, swimming lessons have been given attention to be included.

Regarding human resources to teach swimming to students, the Ministry affirmed that there is no shortage. However, Mr. Duong Van Ba ​​emphasized: “The biggest difficulty of the education and training sector is the facilities for teaching swimming. The Ministry of Education and Training also developed a project to teach swimming to children in schools to submit to the Government about 5-6 years ago, but then the project was not approved. The reason is that the construction of facilities and swimming pool systems in schools is very difficult, the cost is very large but there is no source”.

According to Mr. Duong Van Ba, to overcome this situation, in 2014-2015, the Education and Training sector approached the support of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to deploy a system of mini swimming pools in schools. The bank promised to invest about 3 billion VND for about 7 swimming pools in 2016 in some difficult areas.

“Currently, only BIDV supports us with this campaign. We all want all children to know how to swim, but funding is very difficult. On May 12, the Minister of Education and Training signed a directive requesting provincial Departments of Education and Training to review the area, report to local authorities for coordination, support, and connection with the existing swimming pool system to support swimming lessons for children,” said Mr. Duong Van Ba.

You don't need a swimming pool to learn to swim.

Ms. Dao Hong Lan, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, emphasized: “Our country has a long coastline and a dense river system, which pose many risks of drowning accidents for children. However, we must turn these into advantages to teach children how to swim and respond to drowning accidents. Universalizing swimming lessons and teaching water safety skills to children is one of the basic solutions to reduce drowning accidents for children.”

According to Dao Hong Lan: “Teaching children to swim needs to be flexible, it is not necessary to have a swimming pool. Up until now, if people depended on swimming pools to learn how to swim, then wouldn’t our fathers’ generation all know how to swim?

Therefore, promoting initiatives, taking advantage of existing facilities, or supporting swimming tuition fees to establish short-term classes, calling on swimming pool owners to share social responsibility... is necessary. Localities should review appropriate swimming teaching models, such as using waterproof tarpaulins to create swimming pools, using nets to block river corners to teach children to swim...".

According to Ms. Dao Hong Lan, to prevent drowning accidents for children, it is necessary to have the participation of the community, villages, and residential groups because no one can know better which places are safe or unsafe, which water is shallow or deep in the area than the local people, thereby having measures to warn and prevent. If determined, drowning accidents can all be prevented.

In addition, parents' attention to their children also needs to be focused on. Deputy Minister Dao Hong Lan cited: "Without the attention of parents and family, we would not have a famous athlete like Anh Vien. I know that the reason Anh Vien is a good swimmer is because from the age of 5, her grandfather saw that her house was surrounded by water, and was afraid of her safety, so he taught her to swim. From there, she discovered her talent and ability to continue to nurture it."

Ms. Dao Hong Lan added that, through statistics from drowning cases, not all children who cannot swim drown. Many times, children drown subjectively, thinking that they can swim, so they go far away and get swept away by waves or into deep holes.

There have even been cases of children drowning due to their parents' or grandparents' negligence. The grandfather went first, the child followed, and when they got home, they couldn't find the child because he had slipped into the pond; someone bathed their child, left the child sitting in the tub, went into the house to get clothes, and when they came back, they found the child had choked on water.

Therefore, the awareness of each family, equipping them with knowledge and awareness to prevent drowning is extremely important./.

According to VOV