Beijing University Requires Students Learn to Swim to Graduate

By Justine Lopez

Students at the prestigious Tsinghua University will soon be required to learn how to swim in order to receive their diplomas, BBC reports.

The announcement was made on Monday. Since word got out about the university’s new graduation requirement, the topic has been debated at length on social media. Many are left wondering why a top tier university would require swimming in a city suffering from droughts and a lack of swimming pools. And why swimming of all things?

According to the university swimming is a crucial survival skill. Qiu Yong, President of Tsinghua University, defended the move by adding that swimming helps improve physical fitness.  

Believe it or not, swimming was a requirement at Tsinghua University beginning in 1919. But they ultimately axed it as the university’s popularity increased. The lack of swimming pools in the capital also posed a challege to the rule.

Nearly 100 years later and Tsinghua has decided the requirement was important (and successful) enough to reinstate.

The new rule will go into effect starting in September of this year. In order to graduate all students must be able to swim at least 50 meters, using any stroke to get there.

The swim-to-graduate requirement is fine for those who grew up learning how to swim, but for those poor kids who were raised in non-coastal areas – or who just didn't learn how to swim – this new rule will likely be pretty challenging.

We suppose it could be worse. At least the university isn’t requiring students to become adept at the butterfly stroke... or underwater basket weaving.

[Image via BBC]

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