Jan Michalski, senator of the Republic of Poland, delivered a statement during one of the Senate’s October sittings addressed to Minister of Sport Joanna Mucha:
Dear Madam Minister!
I am writing to you regarding the launch of a project to subsidize the construction or modernization of gymnasiums at schools.
The government projects “My Pitch – Orlik 2012” and “Close – Pitch” showed how important modern sports facilities are in developing and promoting physical activity among children and young people. In addition, the construction of new pitches significantly revitalized local communities and contributed to the formation of sports clubs, football, athletics and tennis teams. Facilities belonging to school complexes in particular helped raise sports-training standards both during physical education lessons and in extracurricular activities.
Directing investments toward open-air facilities, however, resulted in investment “neglect” in improving the standards of enclosed facilities such as gymnasiums. Many schools use premises built in the 1960s and 1970s, carrying out only minor renovations. As part of various projects, many municipalities have gained multifunctional sports halls, which often play an important role in the life of local communities. I am convinced that the possibilities for state support exceed their budgetary capacity.
I would like to draw your attention, Madam Minister, in view of your tremendous commitment to increasing activity among children and young people, to the need to make up for the arrears in this area of activity. A program for expanding or modernizing gymnasiums should take into account the different capabilities of municipal and county local governments, defining standards for the sports hall and sanitary facilities. At the same time, it should not exclude support for the construction of new gymnasiums if the investor—a municipality, county local government or non-public entity running a school—decides to undertake it.
Madam Minister, the example of the Orliks showed how, with the help of the state and the voivodeship local government, sports facilities at schools and elsewhere could be brought into the 21st century. I hope that a similar “revolution” is also possible in the case of gymnasiums. The school environment naturally encourages sporting activity and generates minimal costs related to maintaining facilities that are essential for the proper functioning of the school in any case. This will also enable the development of many disciplines in which we are so eager for success: basketball, volleyball, handball and many others. The absence of a gymnasium means that children usually exercise in corridors, where professional physical education lessons cannot be held.
I ask you, Madam Minister, to consider the described proposal to launch a project supporting the modernization or construction of gymnasiums with the participation of the government, the voivodeship local government, and the municipal or county local government.
Yours sincerely,
Jan Michalski
We will return to the matter.
(information: JM/ii)