Karlsruhe Great balance: Swimming Fix saves 200 children from non -swimming!

Karlsruhe Great balance: Swimming Fix saves 200 children from non -swimming!

In Baden-Württemberg, swimming is becoming more and more a defect for many children. More and more schools have to give up swimming lessons, while in Karlsruhe the opposite paths are successfully taken. The project "Swimming Fix" recently ended in the fan bath.

Since 2011, as part of "Swimming Fix", primary School children, especially the non -swimming, have been bringing closer swimming closer. The project, which is organized by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), supplements the regular swimming lessons by 15 additional units. These are carried out by specially trained teaching assistants who take care of the children individually and reduce the fear of water through playful exercises. A look at the numbers shows the success: Out of 500 non -swimmers, 200 children were able to learn swimming in the course of the school year - a success rate of almost 39 percent!

swimming as a lifesaver

swimming is not only a leisure activity, but also a fundamental ability that can potentially save lives. The Ministry of Culture of Baden-Württemberg has already initiated measures to improve children's swimming ability. This includes the introduction of the Baden-Württemberg school swimming passes from the school year 2021/2022, which should also ensure a documentation of the swimming progress. There are also swimming agencies that offer beginner swimming courses for children who have not yet reached these skills. These courses already benefit around 6,500 children and the program will be expanded in the coming years.

Nevertheless, many schools face a major problem: Around 20% of primary schools in Baden-Württemberg cannot offer their students swimming lessons. The main reasons are the lack of access to swimming pools, in which 60% of the schools are affected, and the lack of qualified teachers. In order to counteract this, the Ministry offers various training programs for teachers and has provided additional materials to improve the situation.

noticeably high non -swimmer quota

The current situation is alarming: According to a survey by the DLRG, every fifth child between the ages of six and ten in Germany is not a safe swimmer. Over half of the elementary school students leave the school without the swimming badge bronze. This is particularly worrying, because acquiring this badge is an important step towards safe swimming. Despite a slight increase in the swimmers classified as "safe", the proportion of children who do not have a swimming badge remains high. 58% of the children leave primary school without the necessary skills.

The DLRG urgently warns of the consequences that can result from this situation. Tragic incidents such as the drowning accident of a seven -year -old boy in school swimming in Constance show the risk. Such events create uncertainty among the teachers, who then have to worry about the safety of their students. Monika Stein, the chairwoman of the Education and Science Union (GEW) in Baden-Württemberg, speaks of a tense situation and emphasizes that teachers often find no answers to challenges such as missing rescue training and too large groups.

Development shows that it is time in Baden-Württemberg to further intensify the efforts to improve the swimming ability of children and also find solutions in schools without current swimming offers. This is the only way to ensure in the future that the children not only learn to swim safely, but can also start with a vital skill.