From public pools to waterparks, children may spend their time away from school in some form of water. Although, it is crucial to remember the importance of water safety to prevent the risk of drowning.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for elementary and middle school-aged children (ages 5 to 14), .
Furthermore, after decades of decline, drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, . More than 4,500 people died due to drowning each year from 2020鈥�2022, 500 more per year compared to 2019.
A 2021 鈥攚hich surveyed 1,505 parents from throughout the city鈥攆ound the top three reasons parents did not register their children for swim lessons were cost (35 percent), not enough time (22 percent), and an inability to find lessons (21 percent). Other parents said they taught their kids to swim or didn鈥檛 send them to lessons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
that Black people under the age of 30 have a drowning rate that鈥檚 1.5 times higher than white people of the same age, and the rate is two times higher for American Indian and Alaskan native people.
Although swim initiatives have been introduced in some states, including and , there are no statewide laws requiring elementary students to have swim lessons.
According to , formal swim lessons can reduce a child鈥檚 risk of drowning, and some districts see it as their responsibility to provide access to formal lessons.
Education Week spoke with school districts that have swim safety programs of their own, advocating for other districts to take ownership of water preparedness, and making a case for districts nationwide to require a swim safety curriculum.
Some school districts have swim safety policies to prepare students
The Lee鈥檚 Summit school district, just east of Kansas City in Missouri uses its own aquatic center to provide students with free access to swim lessons.
Since 2012, , funded by donations and revenue set aside each year, has enabled 2nd graders to enroll in a free session of swim lessons.
The program accepts donations from, 鈥渁nyone wanting to make a financial contribution,鈥� according to Kwasi Pryor, the district鈥檚 aquatic director.
Pryor said the district offers the free session to 2nd graders in the spring, right before the summer, so they are 鈥渁t least acclimated to the water鈥� before the summer break.
The district provides bus transportation from four of its Title I elementary schools to the aquatic center at no cost to students or parents. Parents pick up their children at the pool.
Pryor said he started the initiative to help students learn to swim at a young age, regardless of their financial status. He noticed parents who couldn鈥檛 afford lessons may not register their children, and he wanted to make lessons more accessible.
鈥淭his is something that needs to be instilled in the educational process. We don鈥檛 see swimming the right way as a society, as it [is] a life skill,鈥� Pryor said.
Districts nationwide should place more emphasis on elementary students learning to swim, he said. Parents who did not learn how to swim when they were younger may not be inclined to sign their children up for swimming lessons.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really an initiative we should start putting out earlier. If parents know, they might do, but if parents don鈥檛 know, they won鈥檛 do,鈥� Pryor said.
Starting swim lessons early reduces water fear and builds safety skills
Jennifer Lilintahl, co-owner of SafeSplash Swim School at Friendship Heights, Columbia Heights, and Rockville Pike in Maryland, says starting swim lessons as early as 4 months old is important for children to build a strong foundation in water safety and reduce their fear of water.
鈥淸Children] don鈥檛 have that opportunity to necessarily develop a fear or aversion to the water because of frequent exposure,鈥� Lilintahl said.
While Lilintahl believes children with constant water exposure from a young age are less likely to be scared of the water, she says it鈥檚 never too late to start lessons.
The Dallastown Area school district in Pennsylvania has provided a Learn to Swim summer program for district students from elementary to middle school for over 40 years.
The district sees about 800 students register every year, with paid instructors for each class, said Gina McHenry, the district鈥檚 aquatics director. The district offers reduced registration fees of $45 for district students, and $55 for out-of-district students. Registration includes eight lessons, following the .
In comparison, the Arthur J Glatfelter YMCA in York, Pa., offers youth swimming lessons for ages six to 12. Registration is $70 for members, $100 for non-members, and includes seven 45-minute classes.
The point is to teach water safety to children, keeping them, along with their parents, comfortable around the water, said McHenry.
鈥淲hen I teach swim lessons, I鈥檓 not teaching to develop the next Olympic swimmer. I鈥檓 teaching to keep a child safe in the water and hope that they enjoy the water,鈥� she said.
The district also requires students to participate in a middle school pool exploration program as a part of the physical education curriculum. The curriculum does not include formal swim classes, but if a student can鈥檛 swim, they will receive informal lessons during the class, McHenry said.
McHenry says some parents who may have had negative experiences in the water may feel the need to either encourage swim lessons with their child or avoid them altogether.
found that parents who experience a 鈥渃lose call鈥� with drowning tend to show greater awareness of children鈥檚 drowning risk, endorsing more watchful and proximal supervision.
McHenry says there is a 鈥渟ocially driven鈥� aspect to students taking swim lessons. When a student is the only one of their peers who can鈥檛 swim, they can feel left out, making it even more important for them to have the opportunity to learn alongside them.
The district in southern Pennsylvania is one of many in its region that offers Learn To Swim programs.
While the Dallastown Area schools all have pools, McHenry said, it is still possible for school districts nationwide, including those without pools, to have a swim program. Districts can also partner with recreational centers, she said.
