I FULLY support Mr Ken Tai's Forum letter on Tuesday, "Sports facilities: Schools should facilitate public usage".

I believe that all schools, particularly those located in the HDB heartland, should encourage public usage of their tracks for jogging or walking, as it would be in line with the Government's policy of building a healthy society.

By doing so, schools would be making full use of the tracks, which were built at great cost. Additionally, these tracks are safer and take a lesser toll on joggers' knees and ankles because they have a cushioning effect, unlike pavements or public roads.

Security in the schools is a very important consideration. I am sure all schools have their own in-house security arrangements. The security personnel could keep an eye on members of the public entering the school compound. Principals could also limit the use of the tracks to certain days and hours.

I fully agree that the tracks are primarily for the use of the students, but on days when they are not used for any organised activities, there is no harm in letting members of the public use them for healthy activities.

Pavithran Vidyadharan

This article was first published in The Straits Times.