By: Kristine De Martelaer – Many parents see obtaining a swimming certificate as a guarantee that their child is safe in the water. But Kristine De Martelaer, professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, emphasizes that this is a misconception. Although a certificate indicates that a child has mastered the basics of swimming, this does not automatically mean that the child is safe in all water situations. Kristine therefore advocates a broader approach to swimming instruction, which makes parents and children aware of the limitations of the certificate and the importance of risk assessment.
In this session, she takes a closer look at the risks of overestimating swimming skills and the need for more supervision. She compares swimming safety to traffic education: learning the basic skills is only the beginning, just as a child learns to ride a bike but is not yet allowed to ride independently in traffic. Kristine also discusses the need for better communication with parents and the importance of both quantitative and qualitative research to substantiate the need for additional supervision. She shares the initial insights from the European ALFAC (Aquatic Literacy For All Children) project on swimming skills and risk recognition in children and hopes to convince policymakers of the need for a broader approach to swimming education and safety.
This knowledge session will be held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Knowledge Dome #3.
This knowledge session is part of the Swimming Pool Industry Day. For more information, visitzwembadbranche.be/dag.