Ensuring children's safety during the summer

QTO - The recent series of drowning incidents in many localities throughout the province continues to raise concerns about the safety risks for children during the summer. In the context of climate change and increasing heatwaves, equipping students with drowning prevention skills is becoming an urgent requirement.

A wake-up call from drowning accidents.

In reality, the risk of drowning accidents among children increases significantly during the summer months. Most incidents occur among students in the final year of primary school and the beginning of secondary school. This age group is active and inquisitive , but lacks the skills to recognize danger and handle situations when encountering problems in the water.

Dangers lurk when swimming in the river - Photo: BC

Quang Tri province has many rivers, ponds, lakes, and low-lying areas. Meanwhile, some parents are still negligent, allowing their children to play unsupervised during the summer without regular care. Of particular concern is that many students have not received proper swimming lessons. Some know how to swim but lack water safety skills, not knowing how to handle cramps, exhaustion, or strong currents. In some cases, accidents have occurred when children instinctively tried to save a friend without proper rescue techniques.

Based on this reality, many schools in the province have proactively implemented solutions to raise awareness and skills in preventing and combating drowning among students. At Quan Hau Primary School (Quang Ninh commune), an area affected by flooding, the education of water safety skills has been regularly maintained for many years.

In addition to incorporating awareness campaigns into extracurricular activities, the school also collaborates with relevant agencies and authorities to organize swimming lessons and provide guidance on handling emergency situations and safely rescuing people for students. Extracurricular activities and skill-building playgrounds are also organized to help students proactively access knowledge about preventing and responding to drowning incidents.

Students at Quan Hau Primary School are instructed on safe swimming techniques - Photo: BC

Ms. Le Thi Huong, Principal of Quan Hau Primary School, said that the school has actively coordinated with the Swim for Life project and the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police force of the Provincial Police to organize communication and swimming lessons for students during the summer.

“After taking swimming lessons, I have the skills to protect myself in the water. Learning to swim also helps me have a healthier, more flexible body and feel more confident when playing with friends,” shared Nguyen Nhat Hoang , a 5th grade student from Quan Hau Primary School.

Working together to equip students with safety skills.

Beyond simply teaching swimming, many current media programs also focus on equipping students with practical skills such as self-floating, staying calm in emergencies, identifying dangerous areas, safe rescue principles, and basic first aid. These are considered crucial skills for minimizing risks when accidents occur.

In recent years, many organizations and projects have collaborated to implement effective drowning prevention models in the province. A prime example is the Swim for Life safe swimming project (2021-2025). This project has helped over 5,000 children learn to swim for free; over 22,000 students have received water safety education; 72 warning signs and 330 information boards have been installed; and 640 life jackets and life vests have been distributed to students in flood-prone areas.

Instructions on safe rescue skills in aquatic environments - Photo: BC

Pham Tran Lan Anh, a student in class 5B at Quang Van Primary School (Nam Gianh commune), shared: “When I received the life vest, I felt safer and more confident going to school on rainy days. I also learned many more water safety skills to protect myself and help my friends when they are in danger.”

In addition, the project "Supporting the Implementation of Effective and Sustainable Interventions to Prevent Child Drowning," funded by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, has also created positive changes. Between 2022 and 2025, the project organized nearly 500 swimming lessons for over 9,000 children, provided water safety skills training to over 33,000 students, and trained hundreds of teachers.

However, to reduce drowning accidents, efforts from schools or projects alone are not enough. The most important factor remains the support of families and the community. In reality, many accidents occur outside of school grounds, during summer vacation or when students are playing spontaneously in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.

Raising awareness and equipping students with knowledge on preventing and responding to drowning incidents - Photo: BC

Therefore, parents need to pay more attention to supervising their children during the summer; they should not allow children to swim in rivers, streams, ponds, or lakes without adult supervision. Each family should also proactively create opportunities for children to learn to swim and learn water safety skills.

In addition, local authorities need to review dangerous areas to erect warning signs and barriers; and promote the role of community organizations and residential areas in reminding and supervising children in the community. Establishing safe play areas and community playgrounds for children is also a practical solution to reduce the spontaneous gathering of children to swim in rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Mr. Phan Huu Huyen, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, said that in the coming time, the education sector will continue to expand swimming instruction models, advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a resolution on universal swimming for primary and secondary school students, and invest in facilities to improve swimming skills and water safety for students in the community.

Border

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202605/bao-dam-an-toan-cho-tre-trong-dip-he-2392130/