Head in the water: in Nîmes, a free swimming course for children from working-class neighborhoods

Objective: to no longer be afraid of water for pitchouns, aged between 4 and 11 years old. DR

At the National Police Academy in Courbessac, a swimming pool is available to children from leisure centers in working-class neighborhoods in Nîmes. From 4 to 11 years old, they learn to swim for free, until August 2.

"Come on let's go !"The children do a crawl in the swimming pool installed for the first time at the National Police Academy. Under the watchful eye and advice of the lifeguard, Christophe Pellé.  The little fish are at the André-Malraux leisure center, in Chemin-Bas.

160 children over 15 days

Primary pupils in this priority district take swimming skills free of charge, for children between 6 and 11 years old. You have to "go at the child’s pace", explains Dominique Latour, professional diving instructor, at the edge of the pool.

The main goal ? That the 160 children planned until August 2 n’have &quot no longer afraid of water. For this, the above-ground swimming pool 1.5 m deep is put  "in an incentive situation". Hoops, jumping ladder, ropes over the water… “Play is essential.”

“When are we going to the pool ?”

The youngest, between 4 and 6 years old, follow a water skills course, a certificate which consists in particular of putting “their head in the water". The little ones at the Jean-Carrière nursery school leisure center in the Haute-Magaille district are waiting to go swimming. “When are we going to the pool ?”, a nursery school teacher asks a group leader.

Swimming instructors from the Gard firefighters' underwater club introduce children to water through play. DR

“They are all very impatient”, notes Daniel Biré. Her group of ten children started swimming yesterday, Monday July 22, the date the operation began. “They loved it. “ “Their course takes place over four days, with two sessions per day, in the morning and the afternoon.

Learning eco-friendly actions

To wait, the kindergarteners take turns trying on firefighter helmets, at the SDIS 30 stand. The Gard firefighters are partners in the event, organized by the Gard firefighters underwater club.

Volunteers, around thirty in total, went to Toulouse to look for the 10m by 5m swimming pool. It is filled with treated water from the Bas-Rhône. An ecological initiative. The association also wishes to raise awareness of the environment .

Fabrice Quintieri, employee of the diving association, runs workshops on eco-citizenship. It has three large tarpaulins, on the time of degradation in water of waste, in particular cigarette butts, and their consequences. A short course so that children from daycare centers in popular Nîmes neighborhoods can adopt everyday gestures. quot;.

Meetings with police officers, firefighters and soldiers

Beyond the fight against drowning, at the National Police Academy allows meetings between children and uniformed personnel, police officers, firefighters or soldiers. trellises arrive, to set up a tent. The army, like the police, will hold a stand this Thursday, July 25. In the afternoon, the children will receive their diplomas, in the presence of the Gard prefect.

On the second day of the course, the pequés are well on their way to validating their knowledge of swimming or aquatic ease. "Since yesterday things progressed well", assures Christophe, the lifeguard. Children aged 4 and 5 at the Courbessac leisure center, which has a swimming pool, are no longer afraid of water. Most had already swum.

The kindergarteners are happy. "We learned to put our heads in the water." What’ rsquo;they liked it the most ? "Jump !" The previous group leaves of the pool. "Take off your shoes and socks !", says the host. In the water!