Teaching swimming to children

The recent drowning and injury accidents among children have become a nightmare for many people. In order to reduce the risk of death due to drowning and improve children’s health during the summer vacation, for many years, the Youth Union at all levels in the province has actively opened classes to teach children drowning prevention skills.

Swimming class organized by District Youth Union, Dong Hung District Cultural and Sports Center, Dong Son Commune Youth Union.

In Tan Lap commune (Vu Thu), Tran Tien Nam's father regularly takes him to the swimming pool of the Provincial Children's Cultural House to learn swimming three times a week. He said: In the first sessions, he was not only instructed in basic swimming movements but also instructed on how to prevent drowning such as not freely swimming in ponds, lakes, rivers; before swimming, he had to warm up thoroughly... Nam's swimming class was organized in a systematic manner from the stage of providing material such as life jackets, drowning rescue tools to the teaching and learning process which was closely monitored. The staff and employees were divided into support and management groups associated with each learning content from simple to complex such as general warm-up, practicing movements on land, breathing, fanning, frog kicking, swimming movements underwater; how to lift, support, grasp, pull drowning people... This activity has been taking place for more than 20 summers.

With the dedicated guidance of the coach, from theory to appropriate movements and practice, the swimming lessons by the Youth Union of Duyen Hai Commune (Hung Ha) are not dry but also bring excitement to the children.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh, 12 years old, Bui Tien village said: The swimming class is very meaningful, helping me learn more skills to prevent drowning and improve my health. This is also a useful playground because I have more friends here.

Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Secretary of the Youth Union of Duyen Hai commune, said: Along with organizing swimming classes and equipping children with skills to prevent and combat drowning, for many years, the Executive Committee of the Youth Union of the commune has also promoted propaganda and warnings about the current situation of drowning; conducted surveys and placed warning signs in areas prone to drowning; assigned union officials in charge of village clusters to go to ponds, lakes, and rivers in the afternoons to remind children to pay attention to safety when swimming, thereby contributing to protecting children's safety.

Preventing and combating drowning for children during the summer is identified by all levels of the Youth Union as an important task. Although there are no specific figures, all districts and cities organize free swimming lessons for children, either completely or partially. The Youth Union coordinates with swimming pools, professional coaches, and physical education teachers at schools to teach children how to swim. With the method of both learning theory and practicing at the swimming pool, children apply and immediately test their knowledge and skills, contributing to the formation of swimming skills, limiting accidents and injuries due to drowning. In addition, the Youth Union also actively propagates to parents and people to regularly care for, supervise, and manage children, especially during the summer vacation and the rainy and stormy season to avoid tragic accidents.

However, opening free swimming classes still has some difficulties. Having taught swimming to children in many localities for more than 10 years, Mr. Pham Tien Nam, from the Dong Hung District Culture and Sports Center, said: The biggest difficulty in teaching children to swim is that there are no swimming pools, while the demand for swimming lessons is very high. In many localities, children learn in ponds, the water source and depth may not be guaranteed, and few people can practice. In the ponds, teachers and union officials mainly introduce children to the simplest and most basic techniques. In addition, the cost of organizing swimming classes is quite large due to the need to regularly treat swimming pool water.

Mr. Pham Cong Lanh, Tong Tho Nam village, Dong My commune (Thai Binh city) said: The swimming teaching movement in the commune has been maintained for decades at a solid concrete swimming pool. Although it has been repaired every year, the water is cloudy and muddy, which also affects the swimming learning process of children. I hope to have a clean and safe swimming pool for children to enjoy swimming.

An Tan Commune Youth Union (Thai Thuy) put up warning signs in deep water areas to prevent drowning.

According to the plan of the Provincial Youth Union, this summer, the provincial Youth Union chapters will organize 260 propaganda activities to prevent drowning, accidents and injuries, and child abuse; organize 50 free swimming classes for children; mobilize and donate 3 fixed and mobile swimming pools; mobilize and donate life jackets to children. The above activities of the Youth Union, together with the participation of all levels, sectors, and families, will give children a safe and rewarding summer.