For many years there have been complaints about the lack of swimming skills in children. This also applies to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the land of lakes and long Baltic Sea beaches. Additional swimming courses, primarily during the holidays, should help to remedy the deficits.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) - In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there are also free courses this summer for students who can't swim well. As Social Affairs Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) announced, 250,000 euros are available for the continuation of the state program "MV can swim". The state-sponsored courses are organized by swimming clubs, the DLRG, the DRK water rescue service, the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and cities and communities. Qualified lifeguards give the lessons.
"Fewer and fewer children in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania can swim safely. The problem has worsened due to the corona pandemic and the associated phased suspension of swimming lessons," stated Drese. With the help of the state program, additional offers would be created to eliminate the deficits without families being put under an additional financial burden.
In the previous year, around 3,600 students attended the swimming courses. This year, too, they would primarily be offered during vacation periods or at weekends and are aimed in particular at students in grades 3 and 4. But older students who did not receive swimming lessons due to corona can also take part.
According to the curriculum, every child should leave primary school as a confident swimmer. The implementation of this requirement has not only been hampered by the corona protection measures since 2020, but is also failing in many places because there are no swimming pools or teachers. At the beginning of June, the government and opposition therefore agreed on a new teaching concept, which is to be adopted in the state parliament this month. According to this, swimming lessons should become more reliable and effective with more one-week compact courses, additional staff and additional summer courses.
According to Education Minister Simone Oldenburg (left), about a third of the children in the lake-rich north-east do not have the necessary swimming skills when they leave primary school after class four.
