TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Legislators in Taiwan raised concerns on Thursday (Dec. 26) about the lack of swimming instruction in nearly 30% of schools below the high school level. They urged the Sports Administration (體育署) to investigate the causes to prevent student drowning deaths. The issue arose during the Education and Culture Committee's (教育及文化委員會) review of the Ministry of Education's (教育部) budget.
Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), a Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator, proposed that the Sports Administration address the swimming instruction problem. Ko cited statistics from the 2023 academic year, showing 1,158 schools, or 27.98%, did not offer swimming lessons, with some counties exceeding 50%. Fellow KMT legislators, including Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) and Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞), supported the proposal.
Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之), another KMT legislator, highlighted that rural schools in New Taipei City face challenges due to a lack of swimming pools and distant public facilities, with the Sports Administration only subsidizing entrance fees. Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) called for more research on the link between swimming lessons and drowning rates. She emphasized the need to reform swimming instruction and enhance water survival skills.
Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷), a KMT legislator, referenced studies indicating that non-swimmers are less prone to drowning, suggesting that those more willing to enter the water face higher risks. Hung advocated for better education in water survival skills. Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠), director-general of the Sports Administration, noted facility shortages as a significant barrier, compounded by the Legislative Yuan's prohibition on central government funding for new pools.