VietNamNet Bridge – More swimming pools need to be built at local schools, the HCM City Department of Education and Training has said.

A teacher helps children learn to swim in HCM City's District 2 swimming pool. More swimming pools will be built at local schools in the city.

The target is to raise swimming skills from 15 per cent in 2010 to 60 per cent, according to city authorities.

At a recent workshop, Nguyen Hoai Chuong, the department's deputy head, said the city and the Aquatic Sports Association had been teaching swimming to students since 2010.

The association has provided technical assistance and helped build pools for schools without them.

The Government has also supported the goal of having more pools at public schools.

Currently, 100 schools have swimming pools in HCM City, up from 10 in 2010.

However, the number only accounts for 5.5 per cent of the city's total schools, according to the association's report.

Huynh Cong Minh, the association's chairman, said it was necessary to attract more investment from companies and organisations because of limited funds from the state budget.

Chuong said the department was introducing a joint-venture model between companies and schools whereby the company would provide capital and be in charge of construction. Schools need an area of land at least 210 square metres.

Many schools in the inner city questioned the feasibility of the proposal, saying that most of them did not have sufficient land space. Only those in outlying districts would have at least 210 sq metres of available land, they said.

Source: VNS