Strengthening education on drowning prevention for students.

In recent days, several tragic drowning incidents involving students have occurred in a number of localities.

A swimming class for young children in Nam Dinh city, Nam Dinh province.

On May 18th, a drowning incident occurred in Song Lo commune, Phu Tho province, resulting in the deaths of five students. According to local authorities, a group of male students (four born in 2013 and five born in 2012) went swimming in the Lo River, in Yen Kieu village, and unfortunately drowned.

A few days earlier, a drowning incident also occurred in Dak Lak province, resulting in the deaths of four students. The students who drowned were from Hoa My Tay Primary School and Tay Son Secondary School (Ngoc Lam 1 hamlet, Hoa My commune). All four students came from disadvantaged families, and two of them were siblings. The main cause of these drowning incidents is the students' inability to swim or their lack of swimming and rescue skills. Meanwhile, in rural areas, parents are often busy with farming work and have little time to supervise their children.

In 2024, the Prime Minister issued a Decision approving the program to strengthen education on knowledge and skills for drowning prevention for students in the period 2025-2035. The program sets specific goals: By 2030, at least 55% of 5th grade students, 65% of 9th grade students, and 75% of 12th grade students will know how to swim safely; at least 20% of primary schools, 15% of junior and senior high schools will have fixed or mobile swimming pools and maintain effective operation; 50% of communes, wards, and towns will have at least one swimming pool to teach safe swimming to children and students…

Although the education sector and local authorities have made gradual efforts to implement the aforementioned program, the swimming education program has not achieved the expected results. In reality, many educational institutions lack swimming pools, and swimming lessons are not taught regularly. Many parents do not have a full understanding or adequate concern about the risk of drowning for their children, especially when the children go swimming on their own; coordination between families and schools is not close or consistent…

Local authorities need to increase investment in infrastructure, swimming pools, and recurrent expenditure for schools.

The education sector needs to proactively develop programs, materials, and organize regular training for school administrators, teachers, and health workers on education and skills in preventing drowning and providing first aid for drowning victims. Swimming instruction in schools should be considered a mandatory educational task, not just an encouragement. Swimming instruction for students should aim for specific goals, with flexible teaching plans tailored to each student; helping them not only learn to swim safely but also effectively. Overall, it not only develops swimming skills and rescue skills, but also contributes to creating motivation, initiative, and enjoyment, gradually improving the physical fitness, physique, and stature of the learners.

This work needs to be carried out regularly, with a program, materials, and organizational conditions. Besides evaluating the completion of the curriculum for each subject, educational institutions should assess and summarize the teaching of swimming and students' ability to swim safely, considering it a criterion for emulation and completion of the school year's tasks for both the school and the students. Local authorities need to strengthen propaganda, place warning signs in dangerous areas, and regularly assign personnel to supervise and provide rescue when necessary. Educational institutions should coordinate with parents to promptly gather information and plan swimming lessons for their children in a practical and effective manner. Parents also need to dedicate more time to supervising and managing their children, preventing them from going into rivers and lakes unsupervised.

QUY TUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/day-manh-giao-duc-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-cho-hoc-sinh-post964414.html