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isation within the class. This point has received careful attention at all courses held
for teachers, with the result that the children are handled with much greater skill, and
the lessons go with more "swing" As will be seen from the tables dealing with the
question, great eagerness to attend classes has been shown by the teachers.
(b) General Organisation.—The general organisation of the subject in the schools
is improving, and it is found that considerably more time is devoted to physical
education than was formerly the case. The rules of the Education Committee
originally required three lessons a week, one of which might be devoted to games
or swimming. Some five years ago this rule was amended to the effect that three
periods a week were to be given to syllabus work, and if games and swimming were
taken it was to be in addition to the syllabus work. In July, 1927, the Council
circularised all schools, informing the head teachers that it was desired that a minimum
of one hundred minutes per week should be devoted to physical education, and
that this time should be distributed over not less than four days a week. In
many schools this suggestion has been acted upon, but in others little alteration
has taken place. On an average it is found that seven lessons a week are given in
the infants' departments, slightly under four in the junior forms of the upper schools,
and three (with games or swimming—for some of the children—in addition) in
the senior forms. This constitutes a distinct advance, but further progress is needed
in this direction.
(c) Equipment and Accommodation.—Originally no definite allocation of material
was made for physical training. A certain number of items of apparatus were on
the requisition list, and it was left to the head teacher to indent for them as he or
she saw fit. Such a scheme had obvious disadvantages. In schools in which the
head teacher was keenly interested in the subject the amount of small games apparatus
was adequate, in other schools no material whatsoever was available. In April,
1925, the Council made a free issue of a kit-sack to all departments, containing
in the case of senior departments: 4 footballs, 4 sets of team colours, 4 jumping
ropes, 12 indiarubber balls. Suitable apparatus was also sent to infants' departments.
This issue has made a tremendous difference to the schools, and it is no
exaggeration to state that it has proved the making of the general activity section
of the lesson. Considerable progress has also been made with the hiring of outside
halls for those schools that do not possess adequate accommodation for physical
exercises on their own premises.
Swimming.
Swimming.—There has, perhaps, not been the same marked progress in swimming
as has been the case with the physical training lessons. This is partly due to
the fact that the swimming reached a higher standard in pre-war years than was the
case with the syllabus lessons, and thus the same advance has not been possible.
It may be stated, however, that definite progress can be registered in three
directions:—
(i) The organisation of the lessons is undoubtedly better, and a real effort to
plan the work so that all may take part is clearly discernible in many cases.
(ii) The marked progress of the girls' swimming when viewed in the light of
certificates gained. This is probably due to the fact that a class of girls has two
teachers available when visiting the baths, and more intensive instruction is thus
possible than is the case with the boys.
In years gone by the swimming instructress did the bulk of the teaching, but
with the spread of knowledge amongst the assistant mistresses—and their practical
ability to swim—they can, in many cases, now take a prominent part in the actual
instruction.
(iii) A better use is made of the foot-bath and lavatory facilities than was formerly
the case. In this respect, however, the provision is still far from ideal. It is
submitted that every child should have an opportunity to wash completely before