The legislature in the land of 10,000 lakes has adjourned and in the education bill that passed earlier this month is a measure that requires the state to examine and develop statewide swimming resources. It sets the stage for Minnesota to become the first state in the nation to require swimming in public schools. The sobering statistics fueling the push include a fatality rate listing children 14 and under that number over 20 percent of drownings and the fact that when a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that their children will receive swimming instruction. The legislation has asked the Commissioner of Education to establish a work group of stakeholders and report back on current swimming resources and what it will take to make swimming available to all children in public schools. The report is due next February. Representative Karen Clark, the bill’s author in the house, believes that “Everyone should have health insurance, everyone should have clean air, and everyone should know how to swim.” To give this question local perspective, we visited the Hastings Family Aquatic Center where several children were involved in swim lessons under the watchful eye of lifeguards who are Red Cross certified instructors. We asked some of the parents, positioned along the edge of the pool, why it’s important for them to make sure their kids learn to swim. Moms Shannon and Tiffany gave us their reasons.
Lessons are available throughout the summer at many levels of instruction and we spoke with a towel wrapped youngster who had just come out of the water.
