Published 22 June 2023
Pupils will be given water safety lessons to raise awareness of the dangers of swimming in open water.
The experiential learning lessons are part of the health and wellbeing curriculum and will be delivered to all children and young people before schools close for the holidays.
The lessons will be delivered by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Water Safety Scotland to all children and young people as part of the West Dunbartonshire Water Safety Partnership and are designed to help pupils be aware of the dangers in and around open water and how to safely enjoy time spent near water.
Councillor Clare Steel, Convener of Educational Services said: “These powerful lessons are really important especially as we enter the school holiday period and our children and young people will be spending more time around open water. It is important that we make everyone, regardless if they are confident swimmers or not, aware of the hidden dangers that can lie deep in the water and are not clearly seen from the banks. I hope these talks will be well received by our pupils and they will bear this information in mind when enjoying their summer holidays.”
Councillor John Millar, Vice Convener of Educational Services, added: “We are very aware that West Dunbartonshire and its surrounding areas are very attractive with many areas of open water within our communities. Water safety lessons are critical if anyone finds themselves or someone else in trouble and these talks equip our young people with vital information in the event of an emergency. We must get the message out that swimming in open water is very different to swimming in a pool, where the water is warm and the conditions can be controlled. I am very grateful to the representatives for helping educate our pupils on how to respect open water during the holidays and throughout the year.”
Further information and is available from the Education Scotland National Improvement Hub at https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/water-safety/ and families are encouraged to visit the website together for general advice and raise awareness of the dangers of open water.