The city will be required to offer free swimming lessons to second-grade students in public schools under a bill lawmakers hope to pass this Thursday.
The legislation requires the Parks department and the city school system to develop a children’s swimming program.
“Learning to swim should be as common as learning to read, ride a bike or write,” said Councilwoman Julie Menin, who introduced the legislation.
City data shows that 58 people have drowned in the city’s pools and beaches since 2008, according to the councilwoman, cited by the publication Gothamist.
Several council members said they have enough votes to approve the measure with a veto-proof majority.
At least a quarter of New York City children cannot swim, according to a 2017 Department of Health survey.
The gap widens among African American, Hispanic and Asian children, who are less likely to know how to swim compared to their white peers.
The new policy could reach 70,000 second graders each year.
2023-09-14 11:22:00
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