PAUL-ANDRE WALKER, Staff Reporter
... Mayor says education ministry should finance swimming programme for kids.
MAYOR OF KINGSTON, Desmond McKenzie, has asked the Ministry of Education to do more and give financial support to the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica's (ASAJ) learn-to-swim pro-gramme, SwimJamaica.
In saying so, the Mayor commended the Sports Development Foundation, the National Housing Trust and Sun Island for their support of the ASAJ's effort but pointed out to business co-ordinator Peter Moore and technical adviser Cathy Moore that there was still more work to be done.
McKenzie pointed to the fact that the swimmers in Jamaica that excel come from the Prep schools, which are funded in large part by parents who can afford to pay for swimming programmes.
Conversely, he said the primary, secondary, all-age, and some cash-strapped high schools find it difficult because their programmes are funded entirely by the Government.
"I believe that in planning its programme of educational development, the Ministry of Education and Youth has a duty to review the level of support it has given to programmes like SwimJamaica and perhaps, make it an integral part of the educational transformation process," he said.
Mayor McKenzie was speaking to a small gathering of SwimJamaica board members at the hospitality suite of the National Stadium yesterday, where he endorsed the SwimJamaica programme, which was enjoying its second year.
"I hope that during this second year of SwimJamaica's involve-ment in this process, that the swimming association and the KSAC will be able to find common areas of co-operation to enhance the programme and increase the opportunities for residents of the Corporate Area to become more actively engaged in these activities," said McKenzie.
"We do not have the kind of funding that would allow us to provide the necessary financial support for this programme but there are many other areas in which we could be of help and I would urge the association to let us explore these possibilities, especially in terms of expanding the programme to the inner-city areas," McKenzie told the gathering.
Dr. Maureen Sams-Vaughan, chair-person of the early childhood commission, also endorsed the programme yesterday, citing its importance in relation to the development of a child and setting the right framework to build on as they grow older.
However, the most significant development coming out of the press conference was the willingness of McKenzie to turn over the Bournemouth Pool on the waterfront in east Kingston to the ASAJ, to aid them with the furthering of their outreach programme with inner-city children.
John Ayre, president of the ASAJ, was pleased with the gesture and said that the use of the pool was something his organisation is actively trying to make a reality.
"That is something that we really want to get involved in and we have been doing that actively," said Eyre.
"We want to continue the learn-to-swim programme down there and also focus on water polo development," added Eyre.
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