Enhancing drowning prevention measures for students.

Even before the summer holidays begin, the province has witnessed a series of tragic drowning incidents, claiming the lives of many students. Warning bells are ringing constantly, reminding families, schools, and local authorities not to be complacent in managing and protecting children from the risk of drowning accidents.

Students at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School in Thanh Son commune are equipped with drowning prevention skills integrated into their lessons.

Many were shocked to hear the news on May 18th that a particularly serious drowning incident occurred in Song Lo commune, resulting in the deaths of 5 students from Tu Yen Secondary School. Prior to that, on May 13th, in Ban Nguyen commune, 2 students tragically lost their lives after slipping and falling into a construction site. Also in April and May, two drowning incidents occurred in the Ao Gioi - Suoi Tien area of ​​Hien Luong commune, resulting in 3 deaths. These heartbreaking figures highlight the alarming risk of drowning for children and students, especially as the weather turns hot and the demand for recreation and swimming in rivers, streams, and lakes increases. In reality, most drowning accidents occur due to the carelessness of young children, a lack of adult supervision, and limited emergency response skills. Meanwhile, in many mountainous and hilly areas of the province, the system of rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, dams, and irrigation works is widely distributed, posing potential safety risks but lacking adequate fencing and warning signs.

Faced with this situation, many localities and schools have intensified the implementation of solutions to prevent drowning accidents among students. Located in a mountainous area, Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School in Thanh Son commune regularly promotes and educates students on drowning prevention skills by integrating it into extracurricular activities and group activities. Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, the school principal, said: “In the 2025-2026 school year, the school has 783 students, of whom about 300 know how to swim. At the beginning of the school year, the school coordinated with the commune's police force to organize extracurricular awareness campaigns for students, and also maintained a Zalo group with parents to enhance student management during long holidays and summer breaks. However, popularizing swimming skills among students still faces difficulties due to many families' limited economic resources and the lack of swimming pools in the commune. The school hopes to have more free swimming lessons to encourage students to participate, thereby minimizing the risk of drowning accidents.”

After implementing the two-tiered local government model, Thanh Son commune has 19 public schools with nearly 7,500 students across all three levels. To improve students' skills in preventing drowning accidents, the commune People's Committee collaborated with the Vietnam Safety Science Education Joint Stock Company to organize training on communication, practical skills in fire prevention and control, drowning prevention, rescue, and first aid for school administrators, teachers, and parents. The program attracted more than 180 participants. In addition to focusing on awareness campaigns in schools, many localities are also concentrating on reviewing dangerous areas to promptly warn and prevent accidents. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Vice Chairman of the commune People's Committee, said: The commune has directed the police force to review areas with ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams that pose potential safety risks to erect warning signs; The local authorities maintain the operation of community security teams to strengthen inspections, disseminate information, and remind families to supervise their children during the summer break. They also assign specific responsibilities to each residential area in monitoring and managing dangerous areas to minimize the risk of students going there to play or swim without permission.

Viet Tri Ward has built many swimming pools to help students improve their swimming skills and prevent the risk of drowning accidents.

Following several tragic accidents in the Ao Gioi - Suoi Tien area, the Hien Luong commune authorities have intensified awareness campaigns and tightened management to ensure the safety of residents and tourists. The commune People's Committee advises people not to enter forests, climb mountains, or swim in dangerous areas; not to gather for recreation or swimming in areas with warning signs; and not to participate in unlicensed, spontaneous experiential groups. The commune police also continuously advise parents to closely supervise their children, absolutely not allowing them to swim in ponds, lakes, rivers, or streams without adult supervision; and not to swim in deep water areas without lifeguards. At the same time, the commune police force will increase patrols and inspections in key areas and intensify awareness campaigns to improve people's understanding of drowning prevention.

It is clear that preventing drowning among students cannot rely solely on the education sector or law enforcement agencies; it requires the concerted efforts of the entire society. Families play a particularly crucial role in this effort. Summer vacation is a time when children engage in many outdoor activities, while parents are busy with work, sometimes leading to lax supervision of their children. Even a moment of carelessness can lead to tragic consequences. Each drowning incident not only brings pain to the family but also represents a significant loss to the community and society. Therefore, improving drowning prevention skills among students is an urgent and long-term task, requiring the attention and responsibility of families, schools, and society as a whole, to ensure children have a safe and healthy summer.

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tang-cuong-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-cho-hoc-sinh-255218.htm