Swimming and First Aid Added to Curriculum
By Raji Unnikrishnan
Bahrain is set to integrate swimming and first aid into the national curriculum for government school children, aiming to equip students with essential life-saving skills from an early age. This initiative aligns with Royal Life Saving Bahrain‘s (RLSB) Water Safety Strategy.
The urgency of this initiative is highlighted by the fact that 95 per cent of children do not currently learn to swim in primary school, 47pc of children cannot swim at least 25 metres, and 91pc of people agree that children should be taught to swim. To address these issues, RLSB recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Education Ministry, marking a significant step towards integrating swimming and first aid into the national curriculum.
In 2019, a study on first aid in schools trained 6,000 children in CPR and other skills, revealing that children have a remarkable ability to retain first aid knowledge. This study has laid the foundation for the partnership between RLSB and the Education Ministry, with the goal of progressively increasing students’ first aid knowledge throughout their education.
RLSB general manager Sam Rahman emphasised the importance of this initiative. “Our goal is to ensure that every child in Bahrain has the opportunity to learn how to swim and perform basic first aid,” he told Bahrain This Week.
“These are not just recreational skills, but crucial life-saving abilities that can make a difference between life and death.”
The curriculum will be developed in line with international standards, drawing on expertise from organisations like the International Life Saving Federation (ILS). It will cover various aspects of water safety, swimming techniques, and basic first aid skills.
“This initiative is not just about teaching swimming techniques,” Mr Rahman further explained.
“It’s about instilling water safety awareness, promoting healthy lifestyles, and empowering our youth with the confidence to enjoy aquatic activities safely, as well as instilling the knowledge to perform first aid, a life skill that will serve them well long after they leave education.”
This initiative also aims to promote physical fitness, boost confidence, and potentially open up new career opportunities in aquatics and lifesaving for Bahraini youth.
“We believe this program will have far-reaching benefits beyond just water safety,” Mr Rahman added.
“It will promote physical fitness, boost confidence, and potentially open up new career opportunities in aquatics and lifesaving for Bahraini youth.”
By integrating these skills into the national curriculum, RLSB and the Education Ministry hope to significantly increase the number of competent swimmers among Bahraini youth. This initiative represents a vital step towards creating a safer aquatic environment for Bahrain’s citizens and visitors, while also fostering a culture of water safety and enjoyment that reflects the country’s rich maritime heritage.
