Gamlegårdsbadet open: At long last pupils can learn to swim

It’s the same old story every year. Hard to find times at Tivolibadet, times must fit in with the rest of the timetable, buses must be booked.

– There were a lot of pupils who never learned to swim. Getting to Tivolibadet was too much bother. We had to choose one year-group, class eight, to go to the baths, says Daniel Nilsson, gym teacher at Fröknegårdskolan.

– So I wondered if we couln’t use Gamlegårdbadet, he said.

Lena Ohlsson(M), chairman of the culture and leisure committee, didn’t hesitate.

– I ’m over the moon, this is something better than I could imagine. As a teacher myself, I know how difficult it can be to organise the logistics, she says. She in turn asked ABK – and got the go-ahead straight away.

During a period of two weeks all the pupils in the upper classes can test their ability in the pool.

– This is an immensely important opportunity for us. I’ve spoken to the lower classes as well, so they will also test three year-groups.

When it’s class 7a’s turn to go to the baths, the temperature in the air is 17-18 degrees and about 20 in the water. There’s a wind. Only two pupils remain on dry land. The others can’t wait to feel the water.

The teacher gathers everyone together.

– Now listen, this is about your safety. I don’t know how well you can swim, so you must be completely honest with me. If you’re the least bit uncertain, you must tell me, he says, very conscious of safety issues. Not least the recent accident in Falsterbo, when a six-year-old drowned in a pool during school hours, gives the matter immediate interest.

– After that accident we’ve changed our routines. No unqualified teacher is to have swimmimg-lessons, says Daniel Nilsson.

He explains what the pupils have to do – they must be able to swim eight lengths breast-stroke or crawl, and then 50 metres backstroke.

Some pupils throw themselves into the water. Others take it more cautiously, shiver when they feel the water. Soon everyone is in and swimming around.

In class nine all pupils should be able to swim 200 metres, including 50 metres backstroke, to obtain a pass-mark in Sport and Health.

– That’s the only concrete demand that is clearly stated in all of the courses of study – ”you must be able to do this”. A lot of people have never learnt to swim. If you can’t swim, you’ll get an F in Sport and Health.

– Earlier this year we could only follow one year-group, so we concentrated on class eight. We’ve started extra training once a week for the ones who can’t swim. Previously, if we had 50 pupils who couldn’t swim, we had to pick out a few, that was a calamity, says Daniel Nilsson.

Anthonina Dampha has finished swimming. Her teeth are chattering when she comes out of the water.

– It was fun, but it was hard to start with. But I soon got into it, she says.

How did you get on?

I managed to swim like this, and on my back, says Abdallah Jaber, and shows with his arms how he swam breast-stroke.

– It was fine to swim here.

Lena Ohlsson is pleased.

– It would have been nice to keep on co-operating, for the sake of the children’s swimming and because it’s so easy to come here, she says.

– We’d like a follow-up,of course, maybe swimming for adults, she says.