Fico: 850,000 Students Have Used Contribution for Physical Activities since 2016

Oscadnica, 26 January (TASR) - Since 2016, 850,000 second-year primary school pupils and first-year secondary school students have taken advantage of €150 subsidies for physical activities such as skiing and hiking trips, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at a press briefing in the village of Oscadnica (Zilina region) on Monday. The state has spent a total of €125 million on the project. "Ten years have passed since 2016, two of which were marked by COVID-19, when such events weren't organised. These physical activities are supervised by instructors, which means that the basics are taught here, and I believe that after completing such basic ski training, many will return to skiing as a possible lifelong hobby," said Fico, adding that he considers this project to be one of the most successful. Schools can receive a subsidy of €150 per student, which, according to him, should cover the costs of skiing and meals. "If the trip also includes accommodation, then it must be expected that some additional amount will have to be paid," he added. According to the premier, the project has significant economic benefits for tourism. "If we multiply the total of 850,000 students by the number of nights in a working week, that's a total of 3.4 million overnight stays, which is a huge boost for such facilities," he stated, adding that ski resorts are less frequented outside of holidays and the main season, and it is precisely such school trips that fill the gap. am/df