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Myth: My child can swim now so I can just drop them off to their lesson. Fact: All children aged 12 years and under, must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian at all times in the centre. Whilst our pool deck supervisors and teaching staff are an important safety feature in our programs, they are not intended to replace the close and active supervision of parents or caregivers. This is regardless of ability. Your child may be able to swim very well, however parental supervision is still required. Often we have students who need to use the toilet during their class and need their parent to accompany them. There are also times when first aid needs to be provided (such as for a nosebleed for example), which calls for mum or dad's support. Myth: Teaching Aids are only for young children and non-beginners Fact: Teaching aids are used in every single level at Col Jones Hurstville, including in our competitive stream and our adults program! Teaching aids are not just arm floaties or back bubbles - they also include kickboards, pull buoys, flippers, and noodles. All of our teaching devices serve an important purpose in our program, whether that's helping to build confidence, or isolating a particular skill to work those muscles harder. We've detailed some of their uses below:  On average, one child dies each year from a portable pool related drowning in Australia. Many more are hospitalised and are left with severe, life-long conditions including brain injuries. Portable pools may seem safer - they are generally not as deep as in ground pools, are often temporary, and may appear less of a drowning risk. The fact is though, they are just as dangerous as below-ground pools. These pools include inflatable wading pools, plastic kiddie pools and even larger plastic pools with a frame.
Summer may be over, but until portable pools have been emptied and stored safely, the risk remains.
To read more on their Portable Pools campaign, head to Royal Life Saving Society's website. Author: Josephine Moss (Swim School Coordinator) |
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