Ministry of Sports and Swimming Association Plan Swimming Initiative

In the next school year, there will be about 10,000 additional swimming units at educational institutions, as Sports State Secretary Michaela Schmidt (SPÖ) announced on Tuesday. Throughout Austria, it will be determined where swimming courses and water areas are available and where deficits exist.

Ministry of Sports: Every child should learn to swim

"Around ten percent of children between the ages of five and 19 cannot swim," explained Schmidt at the press conference on the bathing ship in the Vienna Danube Canal. The numbers have worsened due to the cancellation of swimming lessons during the Corona pandemic. "Every child in Austria should learn to swim," the State Secretary set as a goal. This is a societal task for parents, schools, public authorities, the federal government, states, and municipalities.

In the coming months and years, measures will be implemented "step by step," said Schmidt. More than 1,000 kindergartens and primary schools would benefit from the 10,000 additional swimming units. Additionally, local Olympic swimmers are to visit schools and talk about their path to elite sports and their experiences.

Indoor pools are not profitable

The training of swimming instructors will be improved, including with a practice-oriented manual. Free access to lakes will also be strengthened and anchored, announced Schmidt. Furthermore, the construction of 50-meter swimming pools for competitive sports will be promoted by the Ministry of Sports. "There are currently only six pools in Austria that offer 50-meter pools," criticized the Sports State Secretary.

The situation of indoor pools is problematic. "We know that no indoor pool is budgetarily profitable," said Schmidt. Here, several municipalities could join forces and be supported by the state, as examples show. In Rohrbach in Upper Austria, such an indoor pool was created, reported OSV board member Thomas Unger. However, in that federal state, there are "a few white spots" in the coverage with indoor pools, explained Susanne Polansky, federal coordinator of the "Learn to Swim" project from the OSV. A water area report is currently being prepared, with an initial status report expected in September.

(APA/Red)

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