Mandatory swimming in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Holton Arms.

Is taking a swimming class mandatory at Holton or there is a swimming requirement for graduation that can be satisfied by passing a swimming test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are in private school, you can enroll them in another school OP.

My child doesn’t mind the requirement and actually likes swimming. It’s not something I would switch schools over. It’s just a bit strange to us, coming from a landlocked state and, I guess, holding false assumptions that all kids at this age at these schools know enough basic swimming to be water safe. This conversation has been enlightening.

[Anonymous]

Swimming is a life skill. I wish my kids’ school had a pool!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

It is racist. And also racist to have a mandatory class that excludes them.

They didn’t want to be in the same pool with them anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swimming is a life skill. I wish my kids’ school had a pool!

Lots of things could be considered “life skills”, doesn’t mean classes are required for them in high school. What are some other you might ask:

CPR
Cooking
Self defense
Laundry
Sewing
Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming is a life skill. I wish my kids’ school had a pool!

Lots of things could be considered “life skills”, doesn’t mean classes are required for them in high school. What are some other you might ask:

CPR
Cooking
Self defense
Laundry
Sewing
Etc.

I definitely wish first aid and cpr were required for high school graduation.
I took it as a PE class in college, but high school kids are plenty old enough to learn cpr.

[Anonymous]

I think mandatory swimming in school is stupid, but “wet hair in the cold makes you get sick” is an old wives’ tale that refuses to die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

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?

My older friend (born in the 50s) had to swim in the nude with all other boys in his rural southern public school in the 50s-early 60s, so yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s very mandatory in FL, TX and CA where there are tons of bodies of water and public and private pools everywhere.

Where is OP from or based?

Huh? My large extended family lives in Texas (multiple households in multiple school districts) and no, swimming is not “mandatory” in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s very mandatory in FL, TX and CA where there are tons of bodies of water and public and private pools everywhere.

Where is OP from or based?

Huh? My large extended family lives in Texas (multiple households in multiple school districts) and no, swimming is not “mandatory” in public schools.

*Just noticed the forum this is posted in. Not required in their Texas Catholic schools either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming is a life skill. I wish my kids’ school had a pool!

Lots of things could be considered “life skills”, doesn’t mean classes are required for them in high school. What are some other you might ask:

CPR
Cooking
Self defense
Laundry
Sewing
Etc.

I think PP meant life and death skills, which laundry and sewing are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

If it’s for safety, they should make swimming mandatory at a much younger age - kindergarten or preschool. In many countries, swimming is part of the national education requirements for primary school. Middle school is too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every kid we know whose private school had pool time for PE loved it.

My inner city public school has it in high school once or twice as a unit. Some kids could not swim and walked around, tried to learn some strokes. Other kids who had taken lessons or American Red Cross swim class plus the PE teachers helped them.

As for puberty stopping all activity - this attitude should not be coddled to nor created in children. Know your facts and only if truly in pain then get help from a doctor. Don’t stop your schooling every month or for 2-4 years. billions of people have gone through puberty and still functioned pretty well. Stop the snowflake attitude.

*Every* kid you know *loved* it? Either you don’t know a lot of kids, or that’s not accurate. And do you really think questioning the wisdom of mandatory pre-teen swim class is the same as “stopping all activities”? No one is advocating “stopping schooling” during puberty.

My white (hair is not an issue) would rather set herself on fire than change clothes and wear a bathing suit in front of her classmates in 8th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Holton Arms.

Is taking a swimming class mandatory at Holton or there is a swimming requirement for graduation that can be satisfied by passing a swimming test?

Swim test pass is mandatory to graduate from Upper School.
Test usually done at end of 8th grade (or during orientation for incoming 9th graders).

There is also a swimming portion to the single mandatory PE class that most take in 9th grade (there are more PE credits needed but most students are doing team sports, workouts, or dance to fulfill the other credit reqs)

[Anonymous]

My high school had mandatory swimming, but even as a depressed, chubby teen I gathered the oomph to ask my Dr for a note excusing me due to a chlorine irritation. He was kind and didn't put specifics on the note, but did get me excused. I wished I'd done the class because I'm still a poor swimmer!

If they'd gotten us swimming as middle schoolers, I would have done it in a heart beat.