"Half Are Private Pools"... Gwangju Survival Swimming Lacks Public Infrastructure

Out of 72,156 Elementary Students, 36,271 Receive Survival Swimming Lessons at Private Pools
Dong-gu and Nam-gu in Gwangju Have Ordinances, but Remain Passive in Providing Educational Venues
Society Without Academic Elitism: "Local Government Cooperation and Facility Expansion Needed"

It has been found that more than half of elementary school students in Gwangju receive survival swimming education through private swimming pools. The civic group "Society Without Academic Elitism" issued a press release on the 27th, stating, "Survival swimming education still relies more on private swimming pools than public facilities," and emphasized, "Active cooperation from local governments and the community is needed to normalize public education."

According to the "Status of Survival Swimming Operation in Kindergartens and Elementary Schools" obtained by the group from the Gwangju Office of Education, out of 72,156 students at 153 elementary schools in Gwangju for the 2024 school year, 49.7% (35,885 students) received training at school pools or public sports facilities, while 50.3% (36,271 students) used 23 private swimming pools.

Students participating in survival swimming education.

After the Sewol Ferry disaster, the government made survival swimming education a national policy and has expanded it nationwide. However, the group pointed out that Gwangju faces difficulties in running the program due to insufficient cooperation from local governments operating public swimming pools.

In fact, Gwangju's Dong-gu and Nam-gu have established ordinances to support survival swimming education, but the group explained that they show a passive attitude in actually providing venues or participating as consignment operators. The group added, "In the case of Nam-gu, although the youth training center is equipped with a swimming pool, it is not provided as an educational venue for students due to adult users."

Survival swimming education for kindergartens is also being expanded, but the situation is not much different. In the 2024 school year, 853 children from 28 public and private kindergartens in Gwangju received survival swimming education. Society Without Academic Elitism stressed, "The Gwangju Office of Education has gradually expanded survival swimming education for young children since 2018, but participation from district offices is essential for full implementation."

The Gwangju Office of Education plans to increase the number of consignment operators to 30 for the 2025 school year, one more than this year. However, the group stated, "Many schools and kindergartens are still expected to experience difficulties securing swimming pools and coordinating schedules." They added, "Survival swimming is not just a physical activity but an essential education to protect lives," and urged, "Joint efforts from local governments, the office of education, and the community are needed to realize the public nature of education."