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44
"The Committee are in agreement with the view herein expressed by the Board as to
the desirability of a daily period of organised physical activity in every elementary school
The proposal now put forward is that there should be a daily period of organised physical
activity on each of the five school days of the week."
The results of this circular were broadly, that the majority of schools substantially carried
out the recommendations, while a limited number made out a reasonable case for being unable
to do so. There are still cases, however, in which the time devoted to this work falls short of the
Committee's recommendation, and it is hoped that in the near future a real effort will be made
by such schools to provide a daily period of organised phvsical activity for all children.
The
classroom
playing-field
scheme
facilities tor organised games in the London area are provided in the Council s parks and
open spaces, in certain Royal parks, in parks and grounds controlled by Borough Councils, on
sites under the control of the Education Committee which have been adapted for the purpose,
on grounds rented from sports organisations and others, and on a number of playing fields which
are provided with special classroom accommodation. It is with regard to the last named that
considerable development has taken place.
The aim of the Council is to ensure that all pupils throughout their final year in junior
schools, and all pupils in a senior department (or its equivalent in an unreorganised school) have
at least one hour's games on a playing field each week. The facilities already available, owing
to their extent, and more particularly to their distribution, are insufficient to meet such a demand,
and the policy of acquiring large playing fields under the control of the Education Committee
has therefore been adopted.
One of the problems is the inevitable distance from schools to playing fields. The length
of time taken to reach a playing field is often out of all proportion to the time available for play,
and many head teachers are reluctant to make heavy inroads into the time-table.
The solution is to send children to a playing field for the whole day, and in order to make
this possible classrooms have been built on some of the fields already purchased, and these are
used by the children when they are not actually playing games.
These classrooms are adequately heated and are furnished with portable desks and chairs
and all necessary storage facilities, in which books, writing materials, etc., can be kept. In
addition, cloakrooms, lavatories, changing and showering rooms and staff rooms are provided.
The grounds are laid out so as to provide pitches for football and hockey in the winter
together with other games such as Rugby touch, netball and skittle-ball. In the summer the
major games are cricket, rounders and stoolball, while cricket nets, slip catching cradles, long
and high jump pits and minor games pitches are also provided. All equipment for games is
stored on the playing fields and the supply is sufficient to allow of mass coaching in all games.
Experience has shown that it is essential to have on each field a dry playing area, so that games
shall not be missed owing to the grass pitches being unfit for play.
One of the many difficult problems which still have to be faced is the lack of suitable footwear
and clothing. While parents should be encouraged to provide suitable footwear and clothing
for their children, the number capable of so doing is limited, and some form of provision by the
Council would appear to be inevitable.
The children leave the neighbourhood of their schools at 9.15 a.m., and on an average reach
the fields at 10 a.m. There they remain until 3.30 p.m., at which hour they start the homeward
journey. During the time spent at the ground every class is allocated at least one hour for games.
The children bring their own mid-day meal with them and this is, as a rule, eaten between
12.15 and 1.15 or 1.30 p.m., the luncheon interval being reduced to allow a full afternoon session
of two hours before the return journey at about 3.30 p.m. Milk can be obtained, and there are
facilities for heating it when the weather is cold.
Negotiations are taking place to secure five further playing areas, each of 100 or more acres,
and each provided with 50 or more classrooms catering for some 2,000 children daily. The five
areas will, therefore, cater for 10,000 children daily or 50,000 each week. A start has been made
on a scheme to which the often abused word " gigantic " might reasonably be applied.
From the inception of this scheme up to September, 1938, five grounds, comprising in all
55 acres with 19 classrooms, have been purchased, equipped, and are in full operation. Special
arrangements have also been made at three further grounds with 12 classrooms. In addition
six sites, covering 480 acres, have been purchased with a view to development.
While the major effort has been directed towards the purchase of outlying fields and the
building of the necessary classrooms thereon, no opportunity has been missed of purchasing local
grounds nearer to the schools for the purpose of organised games only. During the period under
review, facilities of this type, comprising 13 acres, have been provided in six districts.
Voluntary
associations
This report would not be complete without reference being made to the admirable work
carried out in London by the many voluntary sports associations. Such activities form an essential
part of a comprehensive scheme of physical education, and the Council has recently emphasised
its appreciation of this work by giving a measure of financial assistance, such money to be used
to help to defray the travelling expenses of children taking part in the various fixtures.
These include the London Schools' Athletic Association, the London Schools' Amateur
Boxing Association, the London Schools' Cricket Association, the London Schools' Games
Association for girls, the London Schools' Football Association, and the London Schools' Swimming
Association.