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114
It may be urged that this scheme hampers the individuality
of the teacher, but originality may find scope by introducing games
and dancing steps into many of the lessons. When these are well
taught excellent results are obtained and the physical exercises
are thoroughly enjoyed alike by the children and the spectators.
Throughout the year we have seen displays given at various
schools and have been impressed by the pains taken by the teachers
and the evidence of much care and attention necessary to produce
these displays. There is a slight tendency to elaborate the
dancing steps at the expense of the routine work in physical
exercises.
In the poorer parts of the district where children are
hampered by unsuitable clothing and ill fitting shoes it is difficult
to execute the drill smartly but these are the special schools
where both the physical effort and also the educational effect
of increasing the powers of alertness and concentration of mind
and body are of most value. The physique of the school children
is a matter of national importance and every effort should be
made to conduct the physical exercises so as to secure the best
results in physical development in their after life.
In one school it has been found possible to arrange the
time table so that in taking physical exercises the children are
grouped according to age and physical ability and not according
to standard. This seems an excellent arrangement as the individual
needs of the scholars can be considered.
Gardening.
At some of the schools where the playground accommodation
is sufficient a portion of the playground is set apart to
provide small plots which are used as individual gardens. The
children take great interest in their work, and their attention can
be usefully directed to many points in Nature study. At Acton
Wells and East Acton where the situation of the schools is
specially fortunate as regards fresh air, these gardens may he
used with advantage by the more delicate children as providing
a kind of open-air school, and promoting their employment in
the fresh air. Care is taken in all cases to avoid undue
fatigue.