Should Michigan schools be required to teach water safety courses?
Michigan Rep. Donni Steele is bringing attention to a Senate bill that was introduced earlier this year that does just that. Senate Bill 736, which was introduced by Sen. Roger Victory, would require public schools to teach water safety courses.
The bill does not require swimming lessons, but does require that schools teach students about how to be safe in and around the water. The lessons would be included as part of a health or physical education course.
Schools would be required to address the following topics:
- The proper use of flotation devices.
- Awareness of water conditions.
- The proper supervision of swim areas.
- Safe behaviors in and around the water.
- The importance of pool barriers and fencing.
- The importance of formal swim lessons.
- The importance of avoiding alcohol and substance use with water recreation.
- The importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for drowning victims and the importance of administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
There were a total of 1,155 drownings in the five Great Lakes between 2010 and 2022, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
“I live on a small lake very close to Lake Orion,” Steele said. “Last summer, a friend of mine drowned. This is an issue that’s very close to home for me. If there’s anything we can do to prevent more of these tragic deaths from happening in the future, we need to make it happen.”
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has reported 11 drownings in Oakland County lakes so far this year.
---> Great Lakes drownings: A look at the data from 2010 to 2022
Poll: Should Michigan schools be required to teach water safety courses?
View Senate Bill No. 736
Senate Bill No. 736 was introduced on Feb. 29, 2024, and referred to the committee on education.