When I read the article “Schools should teach students about water safety” published in the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper), it reminded me of my childhood. When I was little, I used to live in a small village by the sea. As there were no computers, mobile phones and other electronic products back then, my friends and I often went to the beach for fun during the summer holiday.
As a non-swimmer, I held on to a piece of polystyrene board and joined in the fun with the others. One day, a huge wave hit me, making me let go of the board. I was engulfed by the waves and at that moment, it was as if I saw death waving at me with its scythe.
Fortunately, I was not far from the shore, and a friend quickly noticed and pulled me out of the water, saving me from drowning. From then on, I was afraid of water. Whether it was the sea, river or lakes, I always gave them a wide berth.
Before the summer holiday begins, schools always repeatedly tell students to stay away from rivers and beaches over the holiday, but children being children never heed their teacher’s words.
As a splash in the water is exciting and can cool the heat of summer, children never take safety to heart.
This is where education steps in. Schools have been promoting water safety in recent years, while the government has been introducing students to the dangers of playing water sports aside from in swimming pools via forums, videos, class meetings and discussions.
Every student should be familiar with rescue and drowning prevention skills, which can be summarized in the mantra “shouting for help, calling 119, using long objects, throwing floating objects and using floats.”
At the same time, schools should issue water safety forms to inform parents of the dangerous spots in Taiwan and to remind them to prevent children from going to those areas for fun.
Overall, as a schoolteacher, I think schools have done ample in terms of water safety education.
As many students do not attend summer holiday tutorial courses and parents do not have time to plan their children’s summer schedule, the two-month summer break can be long. After students come back after the holiday, teachers notice that many of them show a significant drop in academic performance, manners and concentration, which we call the “slippery slope” effect.
Parents and schools must share the responsibility and cooperate to ensure the emotional and intellectual growth of children.
Lin Cheng-wu is a junior-high schoolteacher.
Translated by Rita Wang
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