Mandatory swimming in middle school
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Anonymous
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Am I the only one who thinks mandatory swimming in middle school is a terrible, borderline sadistic idea? I’m kidding about the sadism, but I do seriously feel for these 12 year olds who are forced to wear bathing suits in front of their peers at school at an age in which puberty has hit some but not others, and body image issues and/or body shaming is just beginning to emerge. If kids want to opt to swim, that’s fine, but it seems ridiculous to force every kid to swim, especially at a school that doesn’t even have its own pool. There are dozens of sports that are excluded from the mandatory curriculum, why is swimming, of all things, included? Particularly given the difficult logistics and element of exclusion (what about orthodox kids or kids otherwise would prefer not to be naked in front of peers in the locker room? What about kids whose hair can’t get wet or for whom chlorine is damaging?) Is this alumni pressure or something? Help me understand why this is still a thing in 2023? I’m glad my kid happens to like swimming and is actually looking forward to it, but I feel for the many kids that I am sure are dreading it.
It also seems like forcing kids to run around with wet hair all day in the middle of winter isn’t the best idea from an overall health perspective. I know I must be missing something (and I’m sure I’m completely wrong about how necessary and normal it is) but it seems like a very outdated model of physical education. Do all the independent schools in the DMV do this? I’m just genuinely curious about it. |
Anonymous
| Are you aware that, before the 1970s, many, many public school districts in the United States had mandatory swimming in phys ed, and it was required that you swim in the nude? |
Anonymous
| I don’t know of a school where swimming is mandatory. Is this Lowell? They are the only school I can think if with a pool. While I am sure it is miserable (especially at that age) it is really good for everyone to know how to swim just in case. |
Anonymous
Are you aware that before 1975 many, many jurisdictions lawfully excluded women from serving on juries? Things used to be more terrible than they are now. But seriously, is that true about swimming in the nude? |
Anonymous
| I just don’t think it’s that big a deal. My kids’ school has an outdoor pool so they do swimming as part of PE the first and last month of school. The middle school kids seem to like it. I’m sure those that need accommodations for health or religious reasons can get them. |
Anonymous
| The leading cause of death for teens and pre-teens is “unintentional injury.” Namely motor vehicle accidents and drowning. Swimming is an important life skill and is worth overcoming discomfort. |
Anonymous
| When I went to ncs they required swimming in lower school. Even into high school whenever we had racial sensitivity days or town halls etc many of the African American girls would argue that they should have been allowed to skip swimming because of their hair. They said it was racist of the school to make them go swimming. |
Anonymous
| It sounds like it is a class that is meant to make sure that all the students can be safe in water. There are a good number of adults who cannot swim and entire segments of the population where swimming is not common. This makes the risk of drowning significantly higher. |
Anonymous
It is racist. And also racist to have a mandatory class that excludes them. |
Anonymous
+1. I actually think mandatory swim class is a great idea. Not all kids join swim team or are comfortable in the water. I've known kids who hated the idea of swimming and only became competent swimmers because it was mandatory in school. |
Anonymous
Yep. Much less racist to excuse them from learning a lifesaving skill and increase their risk of accidental drowning. |
Anonymous
It’s actually directed towards competition. But in terms of teen and adult safety, that time would be much better spent teaching drug and alcohol safety and CPR certification. |
Anonymous
| The second day of Freshman orientation in college, we had a swimming test- 200 meters followed by 2 minutes of treading water. If you didn't pass, you had to take swim classes until you did- it was a requirement to obtain a degree. |
Anonymous
Notre Dame? They did that when I was a freshman. |
Anonymous
| Swimming is a life safety skill, unlike a lot of other sports. Given that, I can see the point of making sure all the students have at least enough skill to keep them safe. |