Watch your children as they plunge in water

A reader urges parents to be alert when their children are near water. Other topics: special needs pupils, street numbering, advance warning system

A reader urges parents to be vigilant when their children are near water. Silvia Razgova / The National

This is a story for all the good mothers and fathers out there. It happened to me this week as I joined in the year-end school celebrations and hosted a pool party for my son’s class.

About 15 kids showed up with their parents and as we were chatting, the kids got ready to swim. Before 10 minutes had passed, one of the kids walked into the water. She started to wave her arms and splash. She was clearly in trouble.

It happened in a split second and I raced around the edge of the pool diving off the edge and coming up with her in my arms.

Ten minutes later, another child jumped in the water and ended up in trouble as well. This time, the mother who was closest jumped in and grabbed the boy.

I was beyond myself with anger and shock. I focused my anger on the missing lifeguard. Others focused on the parents, but they were good mothers and fathers too. They were just distracted – ever so briefly.

I do not want to read about even one child drowning this summer. So here is my advice. Keep your guard up and never let your kids swim alone. Most importantly, teach them a healthy respect for the sea and their neighbourhood swimming pool.

At this time of the year when school is wrapping up and it’s so hot, everybody just wants to get in the water. So it’s more important than ever to pay attention to pool safety. I was lucky. I got the best end to my story because nobody got hurt.

Anne Bryan, Abu Dhabi

Pay attention to special pupils

I refer to Ayesha Almazroui’s opinion article It’s time to rethink special needs schooling (June 10). Integration is a costly exercise for schools although a necessary one for those with special needs.

It is unreasonable to expect private institutions to shoulder the cost to provide integration. If the government really wants to get behind this, then it should investigate methods to subsidise special needs places.

Once subsidies are in place, it should then become law that schools have to allocate specials needs places within their student body.

Dave Pryce, Dubai

A few disabilities (all the time the non-motor ones) have never received sufficient specialised help from the government. Attempts to integrate them often makes things worse for such cases rather than help them.

Valeriu Victor Stanciu-Crainic, Dubai

The trick of street numbering

The entire theory of street numbers is that they all go in a single direction and in numerical order (New city streets number scheme almost finished, June 9). You don’t assign numbers to a street that is not straight; 10th Street never crosses 9th Street or any other numbered street ever.

Then use block numbers that are predictable, 1000 starting at one end and going higher in a predictable fashion. One last thing, the names should be kept short and unique to avoid confusion.

Tom Tacker, Abu Dhabi

Refine advanced warning system

I refer to the report Some Fujairah hotels ‘unaware of Cyclone Ashobaa’ (June 10). Storms such as this should be part of the national disaster or emergency management plan. However, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

People who live in the Caribbean and Florida are all familiar with the disaster preparedness plans. Bulletins are issued by the national hurricane centre, and federal and local authorities.

Advanced communication is one of the most critical elements of disaster preparedness and all forms of media – radio, internet, social networks, television and mobile networks should be used. The message should include preparedness or preventive measures to protect life and property and post-emergency measures in the event of any injury or damage to property.

Randall Mohammed, Dubai