Editorial: let's teach all kids to really swim

Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

For the new plan to teach all children in Estonia to swim, money should definitely be found. While even now a basic course is featured in schools, not all acquire the skill due to shortage of training hours. And some schools have gone without. In every way it is laudable that the problem is tackled in earnest. 

Hopefully, deaths by drowning would someday diminish. Additionally, it’s just such a delight to be able to swim and splash in water. As almost all recall from childhood. Plus the benefits of stronger muscles, better breathing and carriage.

For many a generation Johnny Weissmüller playing Tarzan was a hero to be admired. A multiple golden medal winner in the 1920ies. Meanwhile, in 1980ies and even 1990ies in Estonia, in colder weather we were hard pressed to try it out with few pools available.

We have more built now, and what better use for them than to teach all of our children to properly swim.

At that – thinking of the drownings – low swimming skills aren’t definitely the sole reason as alcohol often plays its bitter part. Still, some would probably have made it to the shore had they been better prepared by the training.

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Cartoon: «Let's go to school. Then, by 3rd grade, we'll both swim like senior sailors!»