Elementary school boy drowns during swimming class in western Japan

I hope it wasn't anything but an accident.

Terrible.

This is considered a “Swimming Class“ in Japan.

This is precisely why I taught my daughter to swim MYSELF, before she was even three years old

Terrible!

How does this happen in an actual swimming class? I understand kids horsing around but does Japan not have lifeguards?

The irony is, according to everyone I've spoken to, swimming is taught in Japan and most schools have pool because it teaches the kids how to be safe and to swim. This is 100% the teachers' fault, as well as the school's. First, just because a class schedule says "swimming" on it, decided a year or more beforehand, doesn't mean you have to walk to a completely different pool for the kids to change and swim (all during a 45 minute period!) when your own pool is not working. You CAN do something else. Second, it is supposed to be pool safety and swimming lessons, not "let the kids play" while the teachers don't bother to watch. If I were the parents, I would sue the pants off the school and then some. Since it's Japan I would then lose said lawsuit (but get ¥10,000 for the kid's death and a promise it won't happen again), but still.

How does this happen in an actual swimming class? I understand kids horsing around but does Japan not have lifeguards?

No they actually dont in cases like this. ES and JHS swimming classes are watched over by teachers.

What is actually amazing is that it doesnt happen more often

The kids noticed the problem, but the teachers didn't.

Every employee involved in any stage of this, should be terminated immediately without severance package. This is disgusting.

The parents trust the teaching staff to look after and educate their children, but in this instance, they killed one instead. And yes, killed. They are completely at fault here.

 at a swimming pool in a nearby junior high school as his elementary school's swimming pool could not be used due to an equipment failure

this information is key.

I recently went to my child's elementary school, they had an open swim day. The pool was the same depth all around, shallow enough so that even the first graders could stand up in it without problem. Which means it would be nearly impossible to drown.

JHS, I am assuming is NOT all the same depth, and there are parts where smaller kids can't stand up in.

This as well as teacher negligence led to this horrible incident. I doubt this will lead to any changes in the system, but there sure should be. Fast.

Rest in Peace. Awful tragedy that should've been prevented.

Jail time should be pending for all three teachers.

Wow! At least 6 people hope it wasn't an accident!

That's terrible!

Swimming “lessons” At most schools in Japan are a cruel joke.

They give false confidence to kids and parents. Most kids can’t swim 25m if it were a difficult situation like a rip at the beach, falling in a river with clothes on and so on.

I have pool and beach bronze medallions in life saving. Just saying…

There are some things my mind cannot comprehend to understand.

Why was this kid even allowed in a pool with higher depth than his height if he cannot swim?? Actually, even the kids that are allowed to swim should not stay in deep depth all the time.

This is the nr 1. responsabili of the teachers. How come none of them saw the little kid drowning?? Is not like he is drowining instantly, he must have struggle for a while.

This is incompetence and careless at its highest peak.

Unforgivable. Sack and prosecute every teacher.

So Sad,

Rest in peace little boy, we shall all meet you on the other side someday.

Swim lessons are my earliest childhood memories. At that age the lessons continued but they were more about summer activity than learning anything new. This is tragic and I pray for the family.

The irony is, according to everyone I've spoken to, swimming is taught in Japan and most schools have pool because it teaches the kids how to be safe and to swim.

“Everyone I’ve spoken too”. I live across the road from a school and l see their “swimming classes”, sorry they’re just not on par with what is taught in more modern countries like Australia and the USA. Mostly it’s kids standing in waste deep water. Japan imo has a poor relationship with swimming. Kids can only really swim for 6 weeks of the year for lords sake look up “umi-biraki” it’s ridiculous. 35 degrees where we are, been that hot for a month. Every pool within 100kms is closed. When September comes it will be 30 and all the pools will be closed again.

Our town doesn’t even have a certified swimming instructor. Not a single one.

This incident, three girls dead in fukuoka from drowning, the quail egg choking and the kids getting stuck in the bus who died (RIP) make me afraid to send my kids to school here.

This is so sad. And utterly preventable. The number of times I get asked by my kids if I can swim, and the number of kids that say they can’t, even 5th and 6th graders, beggars belief. Truly.

This is so sad. And utterly preventable. The number of times I get asked by my kids if I can swim, and the number of kids that say they can’t, even 5th and 6th graders, beggars belief. Truly.

How are supposed to practice swimming when they (on average) only have access to a pool for 6 weeks out of 52? It’s crazy.

When I was a young boy, a long time ago swimming lessons were compulsory once per week at the local swimming pool. We were required to take a test.

How are (kids) supposed to practice swimming when they (on average) only have access to a pool for 6 weeks out of 52? It’s crazy.

Sheet home the blame to a lopsided sense of top down priorities which relies heavily on the long suffering, stoically enduring public’s capacity to defer gratification of elementary needs to the Afterlife. The promotion of improved water safety awareness and skills, one example among many, trails a distant last to other far more pressing claims on the public purse; another road to nowhere in deepest, darkest Akita, or ensuring an endless supply of ‘free’ money to underpin yet another predatory takeover abroad. Japan’s ‘ketchyness’ is completely explicable as soon as you realize the ‘country is everything, individuals are nothing’ predatory, mercantilist mindset that permeates and underpins so much of what goes on here.

It's s terrible tragedy I am sure with hindsight the teachers would never have allowed to happen.

I have deep sympathy for the parents but also for the teachers who are to blame but will also carry guilt for the rest of their life's.

Let this poor kid be awake-up call to instructors throughout Japan.

Shave their heads, including eyebrows. That goes for the teachers in the pool area too. Whoever was there, should never been allowed to teach swimming again.

Does Japan not have WSI mandates? If the teachers aren't certified WSI (Water Safety Instructors), what are they doing teaching a swimming class? There should always be a certified lifeguard on duty separate from the swim teachers too. Those certifications ACTUALLY do matter. A few times every year, we are reading stories about a few kids drowning for no good reason. Japan needs to fix this.

This is so sad. My parents taught me to swim very young. Around age 6, they encouraged all their kids to join the local swim team. Nothing better to ensure your kid doesn't drown than getting them on a swim team for 2 yrs. They don't need to be all that good, but they will be comfortable in the water .... of any depth.

Teachers in the west work under the idea of locus parentis.

I wonder if this is the case in Japan?

I am sure that there is a degree of responsibility expected but in this case there doesn’t seem to have been any given.

Still, beach season is here and many parents will be taking their kids to the sea and just like in this pool, there will be drownings due to parents not recognising the danger of allowing their children to play without supervision.

The dangers of heatstroke are well reinforced in Japan but unfortunately death by water is not.

Fighto...I am schooling you AGAIN.

Negligence most often does not attract "jail time "....you do seem a little obsessed on imprisoning people...but hey, whatever rocks your boat.

"Mens Rea " {Latin for something like "a guilty mind " }must be present in order for an act to become a criminal act.

If you/we/the Gubment/ Trump etc imprisoned everybody for negligence, there'd be nobody outside of jail to do important work like Uber driver etc.

I take ice baths when my mind gets angry and I seek imprisonment for everyone and everything.

Try it maybe ?

I can't even imagine how this could have happened unless something captured the attention of those supervising. Were they deep in conversation?

There’s gotta be a few holes in this story . I’ll reserve my judgment until all of the facts come out ; but basic science tells us no one drowns in no time and certainly not in a group of many others , in a pool , a swimming class…. I hope the family gets the answers they deserve!

How does this happen in an actual swimming class? I understand kids horsing around but does Japan not have lifeguards?

No they actually dont in cases like this. ES and JHS swimming classes are watched over by teachers.

Teachers and parents, in the case of my daughter’s school. I’ve volunteered to watch over her class this coming Thursday. I’m no lifeguard, but I can swim and hope I have the common sense to recognize when a kid is in trouble.

Unforgivable! Unacceptable!

Rest in Peace lil one.

instead their bs bowing they should do seppuku!

Poor child.

Completely unacceptable on the part of the 3 teachers present.

The teachers did not notice the boy was drowning.

They had ONE job...to NOTICE!!!