Schools pay scant regard to swimming training

KOCHI: In the wake of the Channankara school bus tragedy and Bharathapuzha drowning involving a group of young  students, the government’s initiative to make swimming mandatory in schools is still on paper. “We have only been given orders to impart training to students if a swimming pool is available. It has not been made mandatory otherwise,” said S Thyagarajan, chairman, Education and Sports Council.He said there were sufficient places in Kochi which can be easily used to impart swimming training if government funds are available. “The GCDA, along with the Kochi Corporation, had many years ago identified a place at Mundamveli, a few kilometres away from here, to make a swimming pool. But till now, no government order has been issued to make this a reality,” Thyagarajan said.At present, the Kochi Corporation has identified a few pools to impart swimming training to students. But Rashtriya Life Saving Society( RLSS), which has tied up with the government to provide swimming training in schools said cleaning of the pools by the government in many of the regions to train students have comparatively been a futile exercise.“It has not worked in many places. What these schools require is the availability of swimming pools in close proximity to schools or preferably in schools,” Thyagarajan said.As part of its initiative to teach swimming in schools, the RLSS has been identifying swimming trainers to teach the students. “We have identified a few government schools in Thiruvananthapuram and one private school in Kochi to train the staff to impart swimming lessons.” Presently, a few private schools in Kochi have also plans to build swimming pools on their own.