Bac Lieu (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu recentlycarried out a programme on swimming safety and drowning prevention for the2018-2020 period.

According to a survey conducted by the provincial Departmentof Education and Training at 127 primary schools and 65 secondary schools, upto 82,670 out of 118,520 students, or 69.7 percent, do not know how to swim.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Lam ThiSang said that under the newly-implemented programme, Bac Lieu strives to have21.4 percent of children aged between the ages of six and 16 taught safeswimming practices, and at least 200 physical education teachers and freelanceinstructors at primary and secondary schools equipped with knowledge of watersafety and guidance.

The locality has set a target of 50 percent of districts,towns, and cities containing swimming pools which are able to servecompetitions, and 20 percent of primary and secondary schools to includeswimming in their extracurricular programmes.

It also expects to open 650 classes, teaching at least26,000 children about safe swimming and how to prevent drowning.

To that end, the province has implemented a variety ofmeasures to teach children how to swim safely and prevent drowning, with atotal investment of over 4 billion VND (171,200 USD).

It has stepped up disseminations on safe swimming anddrowning prevention, while mobilising resources from individuals, enterprises,and social organisations to build swimming pools.

Bac Lieu is home to nearly 250,000 children aged below 16,accounting for 27 percent of its population. During 2012-2017, five localchildren died from drowning. –VNA