Yes sireee!
Been doing relief teaching again this week for the Department of Education, it's called VAC swim classes, which are swimming lessons running during VACation. I was surprised to find out that this year they are celebrating 90 years of VAC swim, now wich country can join us in celebrating this!!
I think it's awesome that the Australian government makes swimming lessons part of the ciricullum and even available over holidays.
Saddest thing is that it's in an area which I know, I use to life there and many of the kids and parents I saw are known to me from my children's primary school. So what's sad about it?
They are there every day for long hours, those kids are so tanned by now it's actually a shame. I was wondering how can this parents think they'll just come and hang out at the complex every day and let their kids get so burned, not to think of how dried out there skins and hair will be by now from all the exposure to sun, chlorine and wind?
Vac swim sessions runs over two weeks per session and I was there with the previous session and saw this one family there, quite well off people, got 6 kids. Then I was a week off and back to finish a second session off for a teacher that fell ill, and yes I was very surprised to see the family there again.
Seems that no matter how hard the Government tries to tell people of the dangers of the sun we need to re-educate the parent rather, skin damage can and will happen when you get burned as a young child.But any how, don't have to much to tell apart from making my point re sun dangers.
Interesting thing while on the topic, we have a lovely friend from Ghana, a black man and the other day he asked me if I get sunburnt. I said, no actually it seems, because I grew up under the harsh African sun too, that my skin will just change colour instead of burning and asked him what about him. And he said no, he can stay in the sun as long as he wants and not get burnt.
I was quite intrugued, I asked "no soreness nothing?" and he said "Nope nothing"
Well if you have brown or black skin I can only say Lucky You!! But again our friend is quite smart and said that that doesn't mean he is not carefull either, he will still wear a shirt and hat if going to do gardening or so, he's not gonna play Russian roulette with the sun either.
Meant to say I do love the sun and heat and also don't mind a bit of a tan, but again atleast try and keep it to minimum exposure.
Slip, Slop, Slap and Slide every one!!!
