Summer vacation, worry about children's safety

Usually at the end of the school year and in the summer, when most students are no longer busy with studying and exams, parents tend to let their children travel, visit, picnic, and participate in experiential activities to relax after a year of studying.

However, these out-of-school activities pose potential safety risks for children, especially those that take place in places without a tourist license and are spontaneous.

The recent heartbreaking incident that killed a parent and a student in Hanoi is a clear example. On May 20, a group of about 50 people, including parents and students from a private school in Hanoi, organized a tour and experience at Xuan Thuy National Park (Nam Dinh). While participating in the clam catching experience here, the tide rose too quickly and swept away a student and a parent, causing a tragic death. It is worth mentioning that the area where the accident occurred is a spontaneous beach, not yet qualified for tourism exploitation. There used to be a sign prohibiting wading into the sand but it was broken.

Summer vacation is also a time when the weather is hot, so the demand for places with rivers, lakes, and seas is very high. Currently, some young parents also like to take their children to newly discovered streams and waterfalls that are little known to enjoy the feeling of relaxation, away from the traditional tourist areas that are often crowded. However, these little-known "backpacking" locations are potentially risky because there are no lifeguards or guides. Just a little carelessness, parents can put themselves and their children in danger.

Even in managed playgrounds, children cannot be guaranteed absolute safety if adults are negligent, especially when it comes to water-related accidents. A typical example is the recent drowning incident in Hai Duong at a swimming pool in Kim Thanh district, which resulted in the death of a 9-year-old child.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children aged 5-14 in the world. In Vietnam, although the number of children drowning has decreased in recent years, it is still one of the leading causes of death in children. Every year, Vietnam still has about 2,000 children under 16 years old die from drowning. The above figure makes Vietnam one of the countries with the highest rate of child drowning deaths in the world, much higher than many countries in the region and 10 times higher than developed countries.

Vietnam has approved the Safe Swimming and Child Drowning Prevention Program for the 2021-2030 period. Every May, relevant ministries, sectors and localities simultaneously launch a nationwide swimming practice. Schools also actively teach swimming skills to students. However, not all localities and schools have the conditions to teach this important survival skill. Therefore, the primary responsibility still belongs to families and parents - the ones who have to keep an eye on their children during the summer vacation.

While drowning accidents are a threat to rural children, urban children face other injuries when they are “locked” at home while their parents are at work. Risks include burns, electric shock, fire, poisoning, and falling from high-rise buildings. Many parents are forced to turn summer vacation into a “third semester” by sending their children to cultural classes or participating in various courses to have someone to look after them during the summer.

Lack of safe playgrounds for children, parents’ lack of time for their children… are lingering problems that cannot be completely solved when students finish the school year. Therefore, every parent needs to show their care and love to give their children a safe and unwasted summer, so that each summer vacation is a joy for children, an opportunity for parents to bond more with their children, rather than a recurring worry.

THUY DUONG