Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Curious about what safety taught in schools

Since I don't have any kids in school (the kids I used to sponsor have long ago grown up and are mostly out of touch) I genuinely don't know the answer to this question. How much safety is being taught to kids in school these days? I don't mean how to put a condom on a cucumber, since I know the schools have that "covered." Or of stranger danger, because that too is a popular topic. But what about good old safety instruction that we used to get by the ton?

I remember coloring books that taught how to be careful around electrical outlets and so forth. That was for the little kids.

And as older kids, there was also a lot about safety, often as part of driver education. Kids were taught that if you were in an accident and power lines were down, to NOT get out of the car, but to wait for rescue (unless the car was actually on fire). I remember this was a big deal in safety instruction. It comes to mind because I just read the sad story of a teenage girl who survived an auto wrecked against a utility pole, but when she got out of the car and stepped on the ground she was electrocuted. It made me wonder (and this is not a criticism of her, but yes, an implied criticism of the schools and perhaps her family) if this type of thing is taught to kids anymore.