Teach swimming in schools

 There are many educational institutions around the world that include not only physical activity but also swimming in their curriculum. Next, we propose to analyze what professionals and experts say about the benefits of teaching swimming in schools.

France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium are some European countries that have an important organization for teaching this sport in schools. In Oceania, Australia established it as a compulsory sport in all states and something similar also occurs in certain countries of America with lifeguarding training.

The truth is that more and more professionals endorse the benefits of this sport, which we have delved into in other articles. Today we will see the arguments of those who argue that swimming should be part of the school curriculum.

Why is it good to teach swimming in schools?

Various publications carried out by experts [1] give an account of the objectives of teaching swimming in schools that were proposed in different countries of the world. Here are some of those listed:

1. Promote healthy physical and mental development.
2. Promote good body composition.
3. Achieve autonomy within the aquatic environment.
4. Generate an atmosphere of fun and cooperation among students.
5. Promote the practice of physical activity in free time.
6. Promote gender parity, since it is not a sport framed in any gender prototype.

For Albarracín Pérez and Moreno Murcia, authors of the cited article, swimming is a discipline with enormous potential for the development of movement and comprehensive skills in children.

Other benefits of swimming for children

On the other hand, other academic publications highlight that the students in whom the consequences of practicing swimming in schools were evaluated also showed greater autonomy for other tasks, such as getting dressed or preparing their backpacks.

In addition, it is also stated that these children learned and adopted healthy habits and incorporated new rules, they knew their value and the importance of complying with them. Finally, their relationship with the environment was also favored thanks to the usual gestures of collaboration and solidarity in school physical activities.

The process of teaching swimming in schools

Of course, it is clear that this teaching process must not only be left in the hands of a physical education teacher but that he must also have the necessary knowledge to transmit this specific skill.

The conditioning and acceptance of the aquatic environment is, as indicated by FINA itself in its Swimming For All manual, the basis of the entire process. At this time, the playful component, together with the safety transmitted to the child and the safety elements, are essential.

Later, it is time for postural learning. This implies changing the classic bipedalism of the terrestrial environment for the horizontality that is acquired when lying down in the water.

Later comes the learning of flotation, a central aspect to master the skill of swimming. There are practical, safe, and group exercises to learn little by little the ventral and dorsal flotation.

Finally, it is time to learn a specific technique. Generally, you start with the front crawl, which is the most natural and easiest style to acquire. Isolated movement work can be carried out in this instance, and then progressively move towards the coordination of all of them, to which the breathing technique is also added.

Conclusion on Teaching Swimming in Schools

Of course, this is not a proposal without detractors. Beyond the fact that statistics indicate that a large part of child drownings occur in the home itself, it seems logical that parents fear for the safety of their children.

Beyond the fact that they are under the supervision of professionals who are dedicated to it, the possibility of an accident is always latent and is the main concern of those who are not convinced that this activity is appropriate for the school environment.

In addition, another undeniable aspect is that, unlike a swimming academy or a club, at school parents cannot choose who is in charge of their children. This, many people indicate, is an important issue when it comes to such a large responsibility.

Therefore, communication between directors, teachers, and parents must be direct and fluid. In this way, both parties can clear their doubts and work together for the well-being and development of children. Swimming well used is an invaluable resource for many, although it carries its risks.