Rustam Minnikhanov orders to develop assessment indicator for Tatarstan schools to check children’s swimming skills

On August 18, at a session of the Tatarstan Commission for prevention and liquidation of emergency situations and ensuring fire safety, Head of Russian Ministry of emergency situations in the republic Rafis Khabibullin informed that the President Rustam Minnikhanov ordered to develop an assessment indicator for Tatarstan schools to check children’s swimming skills. The purpose of this measure is to decrease children's mortality in water basins.

There are more than 200 swimming pools in the republic, 171 of which are owned by the government.

A legal base for issuing a relevant law is being developed together with the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Justice, and prosecutor’s office of the republic.   

“We are worried about the increase of mortality rate in water basins. If we take the current swimming season, 81 people including 10 children have died. 72 people died last year,” First Deputy Prime Minister of the republic Aleksei Pesoshin said. Four children have died in water basins since  July 2016.