Kochi Prefectural Superintendent of Education Announces Practical Training for Elementary School Teachers

Enhancing Safety Measures in Swimming Lessons

September 18, 2024

Kochi Prefecture Superintendent of Education Mikiyasu Nagaoka has announced plans to hold training sessions on safety management for elementary school teachers, focusing on practical skills such as AED operation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The decision comes in response to a tragic accident in July, where a fourth-grade boy at Nagahama Elementary School drowned and died during a swimming lesson in the pool at Nankai Junior High School.

The prefectural board of education aims to create its own “Guidelines for safety measures in swimming lessons” that exceed national guidelines and present them to the boards of education of each city, town, and village by May of next year.

Superintendent of Education Mikiyasu Nagaoka emphasized the importance of practical training, stating, “From next year, we would like to provide practical training on things like cardiopulmonary resuscitation at elementary schools and how to operate an AED.”

The training sessions, scheduled to take place four times, will focus on teaching teachers how to:

• Pull children out of the water in the pool safely
• Implement the “buddy system” in which children pair up to check each other’s safety

These initiatives aim to enhance safety measures in swimming lessons and provide teachers with the necessary skills to respond in emergency situations.