By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunning@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin says the government anticipates the introduction of swimming lessons into public schools this academic year.

In view of the recent drownings over the past few weeks, Ms Hanna Martin said the government intends to enhance the physical education programme to include swimming.

“Swimming is going to be introduced in the physical education programme. We anticipate in this academic school year that we are going to have an enhanced physical education curriculum, which will include swimming,” she told reporters yesterday.

As most of the schools do not have the resources for swimming classes, she said the government is attempting to manage the logistics.

“We are developing a programme to introduce swimming at the schools,” she said. “It’s a skill and really all of us should be able to swim in The Bahamas, but certainly the new generation emerging should be able to.”

Earlier this month, 11-year-old Gerodo Atwill Taylor Jr was found dead and is suspected to have drowned in a pond near the golf academy opposite the national sports stadium.

Also, the body of a juvenile male was pulled from waters near Paradise Cove, Deadman’s Reef in Grand Bahama this month. He had gone swimming at Celebrity Beach near Paradise Cove with four boys and did not return to shore when the others did.

Also this month, a woman drowned when she tried to assist a child who was in distress in the waters in the Staniard Creek area.

Press liaison officer Chrislyn Skippings urged parents and guardians to be watchful of their children and be with them at all times.

“Take them to the beach, don’t send them to the beach,” she had said. “Send them with someone you know, who is responsible so that in the event that something happens, we don’t end up losing one of our darlings. You need to know where your kids are at all times, not some times, all times. You can’t allow your children to be roaming about and you don’t know where they are.”

Dionisio Carey, a former competitive swimmer and swim instructor at Evolve Functional Fitness, said that recent drownings and water incidents have caused a spike in people wanting to learn to swim.

“We’ve had a big spike in our adult learn-to-swim programmes, to the point where our adult learn-to-swim classes now are pretty much filling up daily,” Mr Carey said recently.

“Since the beginning of this year and toward the summer months we’ve also had an increase in our kids learn-to-swim programme as well.”