Mandatory swimming in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP 100%.

I also agree with OP 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anne Arundel County schools have a fifth grade “drownproofing” program that is a real model for what can be accomplished. Over two days, they teach the kids (already-swimmers and non-swimmers) techniques for water survival that go well beyond the presumed application of sport swimming skills to emergency situations. The program includes lessons on how to float for prolonged periods without becoming exhausted (hint: it’s not “treading water), how to turn clothing into an emergency floatation device, and much more. Yes, there are a couple trips to the locker room but the facilitators we had were extremely careful to make that as stress-free as possible.

This is what schools need, with refresher training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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be missing something (and I’m sure I’m completely wrong about how necessary and normal it is) but it seems like a very outdated model of physical education.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.

Yes you are.

Everyone in urban Asia has swim class during most school grades. Maybe American kids are too obese and opt out of PE class and do the sit around the weight room and pretend to do yoga instead.

wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nude swimming? That was really a thing?? Why couldn’t people wear bathing suits?

The widespread development of public swimming pools, often through YMCAs, pre-dated the development of synthetic fiber swimsuits by four or five decades. So there was a lot of concern early on about the fibers clogging filters. Apparently they looked around and decided that boys did not need to be wearing them. (Girls, for the most part, were thought to require more modesty.)

This tradition then just held on.

TMI, but swimming nude is *soooo* much nicer. (Not that I would have been thrilled to do it in middle school, but I probably would have just adapted, like everyone else did.)

[Anonymous]

The awkwardness brought up by OP is why swimming education should absolutely be mandatory in elementary school, and an elective in middle school.

I just deleted a big rant about DPR pools and DPR swim classes before realizing this is the private schools forum and you don't care.

[Anonymous]

Lowell has mandatory swim in primary school. Optional in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Yes you are.



Everyone in urban Asia has swim class during most school grades. Maybe American kids are too obese and opt out of PE class and do the sit around the weight room and pretend to do yoga instead.

I’m not sure what you think the childhood obesity rate is at my child’s independent school, but judging from the grade level I’m familiar with, it seems non-existent. Also, you seem nice.

[Anonymous]

It's really short sighted for AAs to opt out of swim class. Swimming is a life skill. AAs are far more likely to drown than their white peers. In the case of private school AAs, it's less due to historical and racist lack of access to pools than cultural norms. In the end, what is more important--having to wear a swim cap or preventing accidental drowning?

[Anonymous]

By the way, in Jewish talmudic tradition, fathers have a responsibility to teach their boys how to earn a living, read the Torah, and to SWIM!

[Anonymous]

My husband swam nude at public school in NY. I actually didn’t believe him when he told me, but it is true. He was in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP 100%.

I also agree with OP 100%.

But why? And what reason would take precedent over acquiring a life-saving skill?

[Anonymous]

Water safety is a critical life skill. It should not be geared to competition, but to safety. Many tragedies occur in the water. Many are preventable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's really short sighted for AAs to opt out of swim class. Swimming is a life skill. AAs are far more likely to drown than their white peers. In the case of private school AAs, it's less due to historical and racist lack of access to pools than cultural norms. In the end, what is more important--having to wear a swim cap or preventing accidental drowning?

What happens to AA hair if it gets wet?

Doesn't it get wet in the shower?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's really short sighted for AAs to opt out of swim class. Swimming is a life skill. AAs are far more likely to drown than their white peers. In the case of private school AAs, it's less due to historical and racist lack of access to pools than cultural norms. In the end, what is more important--having to wear a swim cap or preventing accidental drowning?

What happens to AA hair if it gets wet?

Doesn't it get wet in the shower?

This was just an extrapolation from op who assumed AA girls do not want to swim because of their hair. My daughter and 3 nieces have no problem getting in the pool. They just wear a good swim cap. Some hairstyles don’t stay neat very long when using the pool and chlorine is not great for curly hair. But it’s absolutely no reason to not give that opportunity to kids.

[Anonymous]

I think the commenters mentioning this requirement makes sense at a younger age are right. Younger kids are more likely to drown and at younger ages the other issues are less of a problem. Of course some kids join the school later (in middle and high school) so maybe a high school swimming test (with a summer or weekend swim class for those who require it?) would still be a good idea. I still don’t think it makes sense to do swimming in the middle of winter…