Seoul City is pushing a plan to have all elementary third grade students in the capital city to learn swimming from next year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education says the plan will be run on a trial basis at a number of schools in this year's second semester. Based on the outcome, the agency will consider instituting swim classes for all third graders in 2012.

The office has formed a consultative group of school inspectors and teachers to draft a concrete action plan.

A survey conducted by the office last year shows that only 33 percent of the 590 elementary schools in Seoul taught swimming in third grade, and only 54 elementary, middle and high schools even had a pool.