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45
The vast amount of work carried out by these admirable associations may be gauged by the
results of the activities of the last named, which, during 1935-37, issued 114,783 swimming and
25,351 life-saving certificates.
It must be remembered that these voluntary services are performed by a comparatively
small number of teachers as the average school has two or at the most three teachers on the
staff who are actively concerned with these extra-mural activities, while in some cases the entire
responsibility falls on one man or woman.
Month after month and year after year they give their Saturday mornings and their evenings
to this cause. They perform a great work for the children in their charge and one deserving of
high praise.
The play leadership scheme has now been in operation for a period of four summers, and
it is possible to form some reliable estimate of its value.
In 1935, 39 centres were opened and there was an average attendance of 87 children per centre;
while in 1938 games were held at 80 centres and the average attendance was 102 children.
Play leadership
scheme

The parks proved more attractive to the children than the playgrounds, and it is suggested
that in the summer of 1939 the number of playground centres should be decreased and the number
of park centres correspondingly increased.
When the Carnegie College was opened, the Council decided to grant a certain number of
scholarships to enable teachers to attend the one-year course. The majority of teachers who have
attended the course have done well, and several have obtained posts in training colleges, secondary
and technical schools.
Training of
teachers
A course tor men, ot similar type to that organised at uarnegie ooliege, nas Deen commenced
at the Loughborough training college. This course is recognised by the Council, and in the year
1937-38 two teachers were granted scholarships to enable them to attend.
For many years the Council has given scholarships to enable girls to attend a three years'
course at a physical training college ; these scholarships are tenable at the physical training
college at Chelsea Polytechnic, and at the Bergman Osterberg College, Dartford.
The growing necessity of training teachers to undertake a measure of specialisation in
physical education in senior schools has led to the establishment of a certain number of threemonth
courses. The Council, realising the value of such training, has made provision for a
certain number of teachers to take advantage of these facilities. Two women have already
attended a course, and two are due to attend shortly, and by Easter of 1939 five men will have
received similar training.
The Council recently agreed to re-introduce the practice of aiding teachers to attend holiday
courses, and during the summer of 1938 four men and two women availed themselves of this
facility.
±I1C paoi IUICC j cai o nave uccu maiA^u uj wuoiuciauic avvivii/j ov iai ao LsuiiiAjug ID
concerned. In former reports attention was directed to the fact that many secondary schools
either had no gymnasium or else one that did not conform to modern standards. During the
three years, progress has been rapid and ten schools have been provided with a modern gymnasium,
a changing-drying-showering room, an apparatus store and a teacher's changing room. In
addition, 13 schools are scheduled to be provided with similar facilities during the current
three-year programme. Two new schools are proposed, and preliminary plans have been
approved, while two county secondary schools are to be replaced by new buildings. In each
case physical training accommodation on the most modern scale will be provided.
Secondary
schools
A further matter which has received careful attention during the period under review has
been the provision of adequate changing facilities in those schools which do not already possess
them. It is by no means unusual to find that in the years gone by schools were provided with
quite an effective gynmasium, but no room in which the children could change.
The addition of a changing room is by no means always an easy matter, as it is not unusual
to find that owing to the original structure of the building it is either extremely difficult or even
impossible to build the changing room adjacent to the existing gymnasium. During the past three
years it has, however, proved possible to provide changing rooms, fitted with shower baths, at four
schools. It is hoped, moreover, that during the current programme similar facilities will be provided
at ten further schools.
There is a problem closely allied to the provision of shower baths which has not, as yet, been
solved, viz., the provision of drying and storage facilities for towels and gymnastic kit.