Children learning water safety ahead of Summer holidays
Primary school pupils from across Devon are being shown how to stay safe in the water
More than 1,000 Devon primary School children, aged 10 and 11 year, are this month learning water safety on Exmouth seafront.
Pupils from across mostly East Devon are learning how about things like cold water shock and how to enter the water, as well as where to swim and what dangers to look out for and how to get help.
The 12 sessions, overseen by Exmouth based community interest company Sideshore, were started by former teacher and lifeguard Bernie Rhodes, who said: "I was noticing that a lot of my Year 6 children who came to me couldn't swim the 25 metres recommended distance.
"I would then see some brilliant swimmers, who actually were swimming for local swim clubs, and we would bring them to the beach and suddenly all those skills went out the window.”
Bernie says whilst Devon might have an abundance of coastline, not all children are prepared for it, adding: “It was suddenly that they were nervous about putting their face in the water, they weren't sure what to do and I think they were scared by the environment around them.
"We get children who come here everyday who can’t swim, with 12 children this time in one of the classes of 30 who said we'd never been to the beach before - and they are only based in Exeter, they're not that far away.
"We take our children to the swimming poll and water safety is now part of the curriculum but when you are not expecting to fall into the water and you are suddenly faced with the coldness - cold water shock creeps in - we don't respond how we think we're going to respond in those situations.
“For us we feel we're bringing that gap between classroom learning, pool learning and we're bringing them out into the actual environment," she said.
As well as learning water safety, pupils are also taught how to protect marine life and eco-systems.
Robert Ellis, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: “if we can inspire in our young generations but also in society generally about what’s out there – I think it’s quite easy if you can’t see something to ignore it and not make a change.
“if you understand what’s there then you have almost a responsibility for it. If you understand your local habitats and how important and amazing they are then you’re more likely to grow up caring for them.”
The sessions focus on the types of marine life found in Devon’s waters and beyond, and also the impacts of human pollution on precious eco systems.