Government Destroying Swimming Pools Stroke by Stroke

New Zealand First is distressed to learn that more schools face the prospect of losing their swimming pools through a lack of funding.

“A report yesterday identifying seven Dunedin schools that can’t afford to maintain their school pool is even more worrying given it comes in the wake of a horror summer of drownings,” says Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Education Tracey Martin.

“Generations of Kiwi kids have gained vital water safety skills in their school pool but this is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

“The Ministry of Education keeps repeating that school boards can repair and maintain pools by using existing operation grants, but this is not realistic and the Ministry knows it.

“More and more often, the burden of saving school pools rests with the local community, but those communities are struggling to meet the challenge.

"Schools should be able to use the five-year property plan funding for immediate repairs to ensure that pools can be kept open or put back into use. Currently, schools cannot access this funding pool if their pool is deemed to be past its ‘economic life’. With the stroke of a pen the Minister could make this change possible,” says Ms Martin.

“New Zealand First would liaise with communities to ensure that the Ministry of Education keeps up pool maintenance when new ones are built.

“Learning to stay safe in the water is a life-saving skill that we should be able to teach our kids in school pools. The children of Dunedin deserve better.”

ENDS

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