Changwon City, Zero Public Elementary School Swimming Pools... Neglecting Survival Swimming Education

People Power Party's Lee Dal-gon Calls for Securing Swimming Pools for Survival Swimming Education

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Choi Hyun-joo] On the 26th, Lee Dal-gon, a member of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, pointed out that there are zero public elementary schools with their own swimming pools in the integrated Changwon City, which has a population of 1 million.

Lee mentioned that it is time to secure swimming pools for survival swimming education and argued that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Education, and local governments should actively work to build swimming pool infrastructure in elementary schools.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, interest in elementary school swimming education has increased since survival swimming education became mandatory after the Sewol ferry disaster, but the number of swimming pools owned by public elementary schools nationwide is only 72.

In the case of Changwon City, a survey conducted last year before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) targeting 110 elementary schools including special schools showed that 90 schools conducted survival swimming education at local government swimming pools, and 20 schools at private swimming pools.

It was found that there are many difficulties in safety and management due to overlapping use with the general public. The inconvenience for teachers is also increasing.

Lee said, “There are 34 schools that walk to the swimming pool, 5 schools with their own school buses, 1 school using public transportation, and 70 schools using rented school buses.”

He added, “Elementary students’ overall physical strength is declining due to excessive use of computers and smartphones, and parents’ interest in swimming education has increased since the Sewol ferry accident. We hope that at least basic survival swimming and swimming style education will be implemented in elementary education.”

Lee Dal-gon emphasized, “Changwon City, as a city with a population of 1 million, needs to secure its own elementary school swimming pools to improve students’ physical strength and activate survival swimming education. We will strive to ensure that Changwon elementary students can receive safe and substantial swimming education by successfully promoting the ‘school facility complex project linked with living SOC’ utilizing elementary school sites.”