Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training issued a document urging the implementation of solutions to prevent drowning among students in the city, aiming to enhance the safety of children during this time as well as throughout the summer vacation period for students in Ho Chi Minh City.
A children's swimming class during the summer in Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: TA QUAN MINH
The document was sent to the principals of general schools, multi-level general schools; directors of continuing education centers; and vocational education and continuing education centers. Accordingly, the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training requested the heads of these units to review, update, and seriously implement the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Training, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training on preventing student drowning, on guiding safe swimming lessons for students; and to build a safe learning environment, preventing accidents, injuries, and drowning suitable for each educational level. In particular, "this must be considered a regular and urgent task."
Units must proactively develop or review and supplement their drowning prevention plans for 2026, ensuring clear objectives, targets, implementation content, and assigned responsibilities. They will be held accountable to the Department of Education and Training if implementation is superficial, delayed, or ineffective.
Raising awareness and skills in preventing drowning.
Before the summer break, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training requested that schools organize a high-intensity communication campaign to guide students in identifying safety risks at ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, streams, swimming pools, water reservoirs, flooded areas, and locations with potential drowning hazards on their way to school, at their residences, and in playgrounds.
Education on knowledge and skills to prevent drowning should be integrated into various subjects, educational activities, physical education, and experiential activities. Teachers should focus on educating children on self-protection skills, situational handling skills, knowing how to call for help, and providing age-appropriate first aid.
What criteria must be met for safe swimming instruction? The leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training requested that schools "proactively develop plans to organize safe swimming lessons according to their actual conditions, using the following options: organizing at the school's or cluster of schools' swimming pools; collaborating with community swimming pool facilities; coordinating with parents and qualified swimming facilities to organize swimming lessons outside of school, while also establishing a mechanism for checking, evaluating, and recognizing results according to unified criteria."
Children learn to swim safely during the summer at a swimming pool in a residential complex, Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: TA QUAN MINH
During the summer, special attention should be paid to managing students during periods of heavy rain and in areas with many ponds and lakes.
Regarding personnel, the city's Department of Education and Training will review and assign management staff, physical education teachers, school health staff, youth group leaders, and other relevant personnel to participate in training courses to enhance their knowledge and skills in preventing drowning, first aid for drowning victims, safe swimming instruction methods, and rescue techniques. The city encourages each unit to gradually ensure it has a team of qualified teachers to organize safe swimming lessons for students and a local support force to handle initial situations when they occur.
At the same time, the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training stated that to ensure the prevention of drowning among students, coordination between schools, families, and local authorities in student management is essential. Special attention should be paid to student management during summer vacation, periods of heavy rain, high tides, flooding, and in areas with many ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, and water storage facilities.
According to data from the Ministry of Health , nearly 2,000 children aged 5-14 drown in Vietnam each year. In Ho Chi Minh City, just on April 19th, a 6-year-old boy was taken by relatives to a swimming pool in an alley off Tay Lan Street, Binh Tan Ward, to swim. He was later found drowned. Prior to that, in July 2025, two boys in Dong Thanh Commune, Ho Chi Minh City (13 and 14 years old) drowned while playing by the river with friends.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-cap-tap-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-cho-hoc-sinh-185260510073131239.htm
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