Mauritius: Vice-Prime Minister (VPM), Minister of Education, et al, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, inaugurated the first ‘bassin d’apprentissage’. The inauguration was hosted at the Plaine des Papayes Government School.
The aim of the initiative was to equip students of primary schools with swimming skills and water safety techniques. The Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius also launched a Handbook on swimming skills and safety measures for primary school leaners.
The Vice Prime Minister Dookun-Luchoomun highlighted that the inauguration of the swimming pool coincides with the World Drowning Prevention Day. The event is observed annually on 25 July.
The event provides an opportunity for the learners to reflect on the importance of learning swimming skills. The programme seeks to prevent fatalities especially among the young learners.
The facility will be available to learners of the Plaine des Papayes Government School and schools of the neighbouring region.
She further underlined that the newly inaugurated ‘bassin d’apprentissage’ is in line with Government’s ‘Natation Scolaire’ programme. The initiative which launched by her Ministry in 2017 to promote the teaching of swimming skills and water safety,
The aim of the initiative is to make sure that learning opportunities and water safety initiatives are more accessible to learners of primary schools.
To date, she stated, the programme has reached out to some 40,000 primary school learners. Three additional ‘bassin d’apprentissage’ will be made available in Cascavelle, Melrose and Souillac, she added.
Furthermore, the VPM Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun dwelt on the need for the young generation to learn swimming skills as they live on an island state surrounded by waters. To this end, she pointed out that swimming is beneficial for the holistic development of children and helps them to be acquainted with safety measures against the backdrop of climate change.
As for MSC’s Chairperson, she spoke of the importance of bringing students closer to swimming pools for learners. Mrs Rawa-Currimjee moreover emphasised that a curriculum has been developed by a panel of experts of the Mauritius Institute of Education and a team of coach so that all children follow the same established handbook on swimming techniques.