The Faculty of Education at the University of the Ryukyus has signed a joint industry-academia-government research agreement with Renaissance, a company that operates fitness and sports clubs nationwide, and the Nakagusuku Village Board of Education in Okinawa Prefecture, regarding school swimming. Moving forward, they will jointly develop a new school swimming curriculum that will cultivate the skills children need to protect themselves in and around water.
In this joint development project, a new school swimming curriculum focusing on "swimming," "floating," and "diving" will be developed. At the same time, evaluation indicators will be established for the ability to protect oneself when faced with danger in or near water, such as floating, securing breathing, and moving to a safe place. Based on the research findings, a sustainable school swimming model will be established.
School swimming programs have been at a crossroads in recent years due to aging pools, maintenance costs, and increased burdens on teachers. While more schools are adapting to local circumstances, such as utilizing private facilities for swimming lessons, the fundamental purpose of school swimming—to cultivate the ability to protect oneself from water accidents—remains largely unchanged.
Therefore, the joint research aims to establish a curriculum that can cultivate the skills necessary to protect lives, regardless of the location of school swimming lessons, and to explore the future of school swimming lessons.
