As summer draws near, kids are increasingly likely to find themselves in or near the water. To some, this is a much anticipated opportunity for recreation and physical activity. But for those who can鈥檛 swim, being around water poses a serious threat of drowning.
One state lawmaker wants to change this, and she鈥檚 eyeing the school curriculum as the vehicle for action.
Maryland Del. Karen Toles (D-District 25) this April introduced , which would have required the state education department to develop a curriculum for an elective course in water safety and swimming for public school students in grades 8 through 12.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that鈥檚 needed. I don鈥檛 know how to swim myself,鈥� said Toles. 鈥淵ou look at many children throughout Maryland, particularly in the Black community, and historically, it鈥檚 not something parents passed down to their children. It鈥檚 a skill our children need to have.鈥�
The bipartisan bill died in committee in this year鈥檚 legislative session; Tole suggested that its late introduction was partly to blame. (It was introduced on February 10.) But the effort wasn鈥檛 a complete flop. It raised awareness among the public and policy makers of the importance of learning to swim for safety鈥檚 sake, an issue that鈥檚 particularly pressing for students of color, who are far less likely to know how to swim and who drown at a much higher rate than their white peers.
The bill follows legislative efforts in other states to incorporate swimming into the school curriculum. In 2014, then-Rep. Karen Clark introduced a bill in Minnesota that would require public schools to provide swim lessons for K-12 students. The bill did not become law and swimming is not a graduation requirement in Minnesota, according to Kevin Burns, spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Education. While a few individual schools and districts nationwide do require students to learn how to swim, there are still no requiring schools to provide swimming lessons as part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, Toles said the recently proposed bill in Maryland has galvanized support from sources that could serve as future partners in such an initiative.
Staunch support for the initiative
One such supporter is Maryland鈥檚 Prince George鈥檚 County鈥檚 Department of Parks and Recreation.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited that Delegate Toles is advocating for this vital education and skill building opportunity for students in the state,鈥� said Tara Eggleston Stewart, the division chief for aquatics and athletic facilities for the Prince George鈥檚 County Department of Parks and Recreation Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. 鈥淲e in PG County serve a predominantly African American and Latino resident population. Those communities are at most risk for drowning and water-related injuries,鈥� she said.
The Prince George鈥檚 parks and recreation department has, since 2011, partnered with its local school system to address this problem. It began with a $5,000 grant from the program, a national initiative to bring water safety and education to underserved populations.
Initially, the department worked with a few schools close to its aquatic facilities to offer water safety education as well as swimming instruction at its facilities free of charge during the school day. The county school system provides bus transportation to and from the pools for participating 2nd graders. The parks and recreation department funds swim instructors and, for any student who needs them, goggles and swimsuits. The growing program currently serves 25 local schools and 1,450 students, and Eggleston Stewart hopes to expand it to 45 schools by the 2023鈥�2024 school year.
鈥淲e teach important education skills in the school system around math, science, English, and so forth. Learning to swim is really a life-saving skill,鈥� said Eggleston Stewart.
Challenges to launching swim requirements
Partnerships like the one between Prince George鈥檚 County鈥檚 schools and its park and recreation department illustrate how a bill like the one Toles proposed can be executed. It also shows how many pieces need to align to make it happen. Such efforts require staunch advocates like Eggleston Stewart and ample resources鈥擯G County鈥檚 agency operates 14 facilities with pools. Some counties have far fewer. Participating school systems must also be willing and able to support the initiative. Like many school systems around the country, Maryland has a shortage of ; it鈥檚 unclear how many other local school systems would be able to provide transportation to and from pools.
These complicated arrangements could be avoided if schools had pools. But, as noted by Cara Grant, the president-elect of SHAPE America, the Society of Health and Physical Educators, that鈥檚 generally not the case鈥攁 factor that likely contributed to the bill鈥檚 failure, which Tole said had bi-partisan support. 鈥淰ery few schools in the state of Maryland have swimming pools in their school facility,鈥� Grant said. 鈥淭hose that do usually have a partnership with government agencies to fund them.鈥�
One such model, Grant explained, might be the District of Columbia鈥檚 transportation department, which has partnered with D.C. public schools to create 鈥攃lasses on pedestrian and bicycle safety held in the district鈥檚 elementary schools.
Inequitable access to swimming is at the root of the problem
While the logistical challenges of launching and maintaining swimming programs by school systems are real, so too is the danger for kids who don鈥檛 learn to swim.
Drowning is the second leading cause of injury death for children ages 5 to 14, according to the , and not knowing how to swim is one of the biggest risk factors for drowning. Nearly 64 percent of Black children in the United States report no to low swimming ability, compared to 45 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of white children, according to the advocacy organization .
A lack of opportunity to learn how to swim is largely to blame for the disparity, fueled historically by and fewer pools in neighborhoods where a majority of residents are Black. Plus, many cities are now experiencing s. Subsequently, Black children ages 10-14 drown in swimming pools at rates 7.6 times higher than White children, according to the
These statistics, and the support her proposed legislation has received so far, keep Toles optimistic.
鈥淔olks are jumping on board to support my bill to provide this life saving skill,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 plan to bring it [the bill] back next year, and get even more advocates at the table.鈥�
