Should swimming instruction be mandatory as part of physical education/gym classes in public schools?
The idea for this question arose from a comment made by someone else last week in another thread that had gone off topic, and was reinforced for me personally this past weekend when the 9-year old nephew (non-swimmer) of a close friend of mine nearly drowned (but for his observant and fast acting uncle) and again this morning with tragic news reported in a local newspaper of the drowning of a child in a neighbor’s back yard pool.
I believe there was a time when swimming instruction was fairly common in PE in public schools. Although there was no swimming instruction as part of gym classes when I was in school, we had a free swim (recreation, but no instruction) as part of gym class in Jr. High (a generation ago). Moreover, the university I attended required all students regardless of major to pass a very basic swimming test in order to get their bachelor's degree. That requirement went the way of the dinosaurs about the time I graduated. (I read somewhere that Harvard imposed the requirement (now abandoned, I believe) after one of its students (Widener, for whom the library is named) drowned when the Titanic sank). I am not aware of any colleges that require this today, and I haven’t heard of any local school districts (at least in the metropolitan Boston area) that require students to learn to swim. (I think a few of the more affluent Massachusetts towns that have pools may offer swimming, but as an elective only).
So, what do you think? Does your school district offer or require swimming instruction today? Should it be required? (The utopian/libertarian side of me recoils at the thought of mandating anything, but the pragmatic/utilitarian side often prevails). I imagine the cost of constructing pools would be the major issue, but with all the money that gets wasted on everything else it would not be out of the realm of possibilities if the will were there.
Thinking back on of all time wasted on the marginally useful activities they had us do in PE/gym class in school, the idea seems even more attractive. Teaching swimming would be an opportunity to teach something really, really useful--not only something that could be life-saving, but that could also provide a life time of healthy activity. (I'm reminded of Paul Simon's lyrics (dating myself): "When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can even think at all.").
Parents
Former Member
I think it really comes down to the parents to get their kids proficient with swimming. The schools won't pay for it unless they have easy access to a pool. Plus they wouldn't want to cut in to any educational time. I learned to swim at what now is a Y taking swim lessons. Poor, inner city children are the least likely to swim, so they should make sure kids can get lessons.
Stew Leonard, owner of Stew Leonard's (organic grocery store chain in CT and NY) is a bajillionaire who lives in CT. It's a small chain but famous in the northeast. People comes from Vermont and New Hampshire to CT just to buy food. Anways, his son drowned as a toddler so he always puts ads on the radio promoting swim safety. They also raise and donate money for "scholarships" for children to attend swim lessons. He went to jail for tax evasion, but he's devoted his life to raise awareness, educate, and prevent drownings. So that's kinda cool. www.stewietheduck.com/home.cfm
I think it really comes down to the parents to get their kids proficient with swimming. The schools won't pay for it unless they have easy access to a pool. Plus they wouldn't want to cut in to any educational time. I learned to swim at what now is a Y taking swim lessons. Poor, inner city children are the least likely to swim, so they should make sure kids can get lessons.
Stew Leonard, owner of Stew Leonard's (organic grocery store chain in CT and NY) is a bajillionaire who lives in CT. It's a small chain but famous in the northeast. People comes from Vermont and New Hampshire to CT just to buy food. Anways, his son drowned as a toddler so he always puts ads on the radio promoting swim safety. They also raise and donate money for "scholarships" for children to attend swim lessons. He went to jail for tax evasion, but he's devoted his life to raise awareness, educate, and prevent drownings. So that's kinda cool. www.stewietheduck.com/home.cfm
