Problem of poor physical fitness of young people should be talked about much more - interior minister

RIGA - Currently, the problem of poor physical fitness of young people needs to be talked about much more, and the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) must be involved in solving the problem, Minister of the Interior Maris Kucinskis (Joint List) admitted in an interview with LETA.

The minister agreed that the planned 10 percent increase in the salary fund in the internal affairs services is not a panacea, but it gives some stability every year. At the same time, there must be other measures in order to encourage people to join the interior affairs system.

Reminding the plans of the Ministry of Defense to cooperate with the financial development institution Altum on guarantees for the purchase of a first home for servicemen, Kucinskis stated that he would also like to work together with Altum, but considering that the salary difference is still quite significant, he predicted that the negotiations would be quite difficult. "The pay will be a struggle," the minister emphasized.

The second battle, where the signal should be sounded and the Ministry of Education and Science should be involved, is physical training.

"Both border guards and police officers have certain requirements for physical fitness, and currently there are stories of people getting sick after the first kilometer of a three-kilometer slow run and unable to continue. This is a common issue and a result of the fact that sports classes in schools have become entertainment events and playtimes. Of course, you can think that the grass was greener once, but there were some requirements back in the day and sports lessons were meant for children and young people to develop physically. It is not only necessary to talk about this, but to shout about this problems, because it has become another threat," said the minister.

This is especially true for border guards, as there are currently difficulties in completing groups at the State Border Guard College. The minister reminded that the college is located in Rezekne, and unemployment is much higher in Latgale than in Riga. Therefore, the issue of physical fitness is most clearly visible here.