The proposal of Haifa City Council member, Hila Lauper, from the Haifa Greens regarding subsidizing swimming lessons for the city's children, which was submitted on Tuesday 07/01/2020 in the city council, was forwarded to the Education Committee for examination.
In the proposal Lauper stated that the city of Haifa was blessed with a natural and beloved resource - the sea, which could be dangerous for those who are not aware of their abilities and those who do not know how to swim. And shared with the members of the council a tragic case she experienced when she was surfing and saw a 14-year-old boy who got into trouble when he entered an unannounced beach. That boy was left unconscious without a pulse and breathing and after a week he died in the hospital.
According to Laufer, if the boy knew how to swim or knew the properties of the sea, he would not have drowned. Following this tragic event, she believes that swimming lessons must be introduced as part of the content taught in schools. The knowledge that swimming lessons impart is life-saving knowledge, especially in a seaside city like Haifa.
After a discussion that developed following the proposal, it was decided to forward the proposal to the Education Committee to examine the issue and the vote passed unanimously.
Mayor, Dr. Einat Kalish Rotem, said in the discussion that she thinks that if the children learn to swim, this may make them overconfident and because they know how to swim, they will think that they can handle any situation, which may increase drowning incidents and not the other way around.
Laufer, said to Hai here:
A concern and a theory was raised that opposes giving knowledge and tools to know the sea for the reason that it will make the child think that he can about the sea. A very dangerous and outdated theory because it is precisely for this reason that children must receive this basic life skill, in order to know that they cannot go on the sea, in order to understand the dangers when they enter the sea, in order for them to know how to enjoy the most of this wonderful thing called the sea but with maximum responsibility such as not entering the sea stormy, to know the changing sea conditions, not to enter an unannounced beach, to know what to do if you suddenly do not feel the ground due to a hole, to know how to get out of a sea current easily. Return home safely!
All the children I and my fellow surfers rescued from the sea, none of them knew the properties of the sea and they all entered undeclared beaches, but no one knows these data, the almost drownings! A package of swimming lessons + familiarization with the sea will give the child a life-saving skill! Despite this, the mayor expressed a willingness to pass it on to the education committee, and this is a good start.
I have been following Lauper's activities for a long time, praise be to the level of cultural and intelligent discourse and action for the residents of the city
In analogy to the mayor's response, it can be argued that if a person studies architecture and city planning, this may make him overconfident and since he knows the theory, he will think that he can handle any situation, and that he can manage a city, which may increase incidents of mishaps in dealing with the residents and not on the contrary.
Undertakes in light of the worsening floods. In the Netherlands every child must learn to swim since it is a country of dams. And in light of the story of the boy who plugged the hole in the dam with his finger. Learn
overconfidence???? Does the honorable mayor not understand that awareness is created from the ability to swim and a person with awareness will not enter a dangerous sea!! What lacks awareness will be easily done and drowned. And by the way, the chances of survival for a person who knows how to swim are high compared to someone who does not know how to swim smoothly