Teaching Children to Swim Could Prevent Fatalities in Boat Accidents- Jantuah

Pupils in Ghana who cross rivers to get to school should be taught how to swim, says private legal practitioner Kwame Jantuah. He argues that this would help to prevent fatalities in the event of boat accidents like the one that occurred on 11 May, when a boat carrying pupils from Faana to Kelee capsized, killing nine children.

Jantuah’s suggestion has come in the wake of calls for greater investment in infrastructure to make such journeys safer for students, with some arguing that the accident highlights the lack of care for children in remote areas. In response, the Ghana Education Service (GES) expressed its condolences to the families of the victims.

While Jantuah’s suggestion may be well-intentioned, some have criticised it for ignoring the root causes of the problem. For the most part, the issue is not that children do not know how to swim, but rather that they have no other means of reaching their schools. Many schools in remote areas are not accessible by road, meaning that children must use boats to cross rivers or lakes to get there. These boats are often overloaded, poorly maintained and operate in dangerous conditions, making accidents a common occurrence.

All in all, while teaching children to swim may be a useful skill, it is not a solution to the problem of unsafe transportation to schools in remote areas. Rather, investment is needed in safer infrastructure and transportation options to ensure that all children have access to education without risking their lives. Only then can Ghana truly live up to its commitment to providing education for all its citizens.