Safety First: Pilot Project to Teach 5,000 Schoolchildren to Swim Starts in Astana and Almaty

Swimming lessons are set to be introduced as a mandatory elective for schoolchildren in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Education explained that this initiative is not intended as a professional sports club, but primarily as a safety measure to ensure children's survival in the water.

The national statistics are alarming: over the last three years, 151 children have lost their lives in bodies of water. This data reveals that every fifth person who drowns in Kazakhstan is a minor. To address this crisis, a pilot project is scheduled to launch in the upcoming academic year in the cities of Astana and Almaty. The program will primarily target students in grades 2 through 4 - an age group that learns swimming skills quickly and is highly vulnerable to water-related accidents.
Natalya Dreyt, Deputy Director General of the National Scientific and Practical Center for Physical Culture under the Ministry of Education, emphasized that the main goal is teaching children how to stay afloat.

"This is not a sports section that demands athletic achievements; it is a safety measure. Swimming lessons will not replace the core physical education curriculum; they will be conducted as an additional elective," she noted.

A unique feature of the project is that it requires no government funding. The Water Sports Federation has taken full responsibility for the financing. According to expert Evgeniy Azaryev, it currently costs approximately 45 million tenge to cover 1,000 children. Experts hope that this project will not only improve safety but also help identify future professional sports champions.

In total, the first phase of the pilot project aims to reach 5,000 children, with classes held 2 to 3 times a week.