Cologne's swimming pool in the crisis: children often stay non -swimmers!

Cologne's swimming pool in the crisis: children often stay non -swimmers!

In Cologne, the teaching pools face serious problems. Less than half of the nine pools in total can be used. Five of these pools are out of operation due to urgent need for renovation, and two, the LVR-Anna-Freud school and the swimming pool on Rochusstrasse in Bickendorf, were permanently closed. The Hohen Straße community primary school in Porz also had to block its pool for static reasons. In order to remedy the lack of swimming areas, the construction of a new teaching swimming pool on Berliner Strasse is planned, but the completion of which is to take place in 2028 at the earliest. In view of this worrying situation, the SPD calls for an immediate program to maintain the teaching pool.

The effects of this development are dramatic. A Forsa survey from 2022 shows that 20 percent of primary school children in Cologne are considered a non-swimmer. In socially disadvantaged districts, school management even reports of up to 50 percent non -swimmers after the fourth school year. Children suffer from families from low -income in particular: 50 percent of children from households with a net income of less than 2500 euros cannot swim. On average, another 25 percent of primary school children have to be classified as uncertain swimmers.

- but how?

According to the DLRG (German Life Rescue Society), children are only safe swimmers when they have acquired the swimming badge bronze, the free swimmer badge. Nevertheless, many parents wrongly believe that the seahorse, a first swimming badge, proves proof of safe swimming. This misinterpretation is worrying, since according to DLRG, an estimated 58 percent of the children are not a safe swimmer at the end of primary school. In addition, 21 percent of the children who are classified as safe or unsafe by their parents did not take a swimming badge.

In order to counteract the grievance, the program “Surely swimming” is promoted in Cologne. This supports primary schools with swimming assistance forces. Sports department Robert Voigtsberger emphasizes the city's efforts to reduce the number of non -swimmers. The city of Cologne provides 1.2 million euros annually. Despite the restricted use of the teaching swimming pools, swimming lessons in the primary level are carried out according to the curriculum. In Cologne primary schools, especially in social hotspots, swimming sponsorship courses are also offered.

It can be said that the situation in Cologne urgently requires action. The combination of missing swimming pools and the associated falling swimming capacity of the children could have long -term consequences for safety in the water. It remains to be seen how the city of Cologne deals with the challenge and whether the measures required can be implemented quickly and sustainably.