Students from flood-hit areas bat for swimming classes in curriculum

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Swimming lessons need to be introduced in school curriculum as it is an important survival skill, said students from flood-affected areas who took part in the second edition of the Green Congress programme. A joint initiative of Green Army International and city Corporation, the two-day programme was aimed at collecting feedback from those who witnessed the calamity on the ground and send it to the authorities.

Experts from the field of climate change, rural development agriculture and disaster management responded to the presentation made by the students and gave technical inputs.

Panelist suggestion

Students must have mock drills and basic movements or crisis management sessions on a regular basis. Disaster management needs to be an integral part of the syllabus from now on, so children are prepared to meet any sort of hazard or disaster. A panchayat of children can put forth ideas and suggestions which elders might not have thought about.

During the disaster, the major issue was the complete blackout of the communication system, so an alternative communication system needs to be designed and deployed in a timely manner. A magazine which reflects the experiences the students had during flood should be published in all schools and its contents can include stories, poems or drawings. 

As an initial understanding of the local situation, the students need to be the reporter. They should visit the localities and do a flood mapping. In this manner, the students can engage in the damage assessment and rehabilitation process.

In high range areas, the buildings were damaged due to ignorance of land use patterns. This needs to be changed and the soil should be tested.