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105
It is very highly desirable that, generally speaking, children should change
into clothes which are especially suitable when they undertake physical exercises.
These clothes should certainly be light in weight; they should give every freedom
of action to the limbs, and what is more they should afford an opportunity for air
getting to the surface of the body. I have definitely said light in weight because
there is an advantage in having at least some of the clothes dark in colour : both
girls and boys in some exercises are called upon to sit on the floor, and white clothes
are not perhaps best suited to this purpose.
(b) Swimming.— I am very interested in swimming because I believe it to be an
excellent form of physical exercise.
The occasion of children visiting public swimming baths is an excellent
opportunity for teachers to get an idea of the general physique of the individual
children, and it has occurrcd to me that, if some simple exercises were undertaken—
particularly breathing exercises—while the children are undressed, the teacher could
more readily distinguish between those children who are standing correctly and those
who are not, than he can when the children are fully clothed.
So, also, with regard to chest expansion. Many children merely uncover
their chest by pulling back their shoulders. This does not expand the chest,
although the chest looks very prominent. As a matter of fact, it limits the proper
expansion of the chest. Here again is a circumstance under which teachers
exercising children while unclothed at the baths could make a note of those individual
children who are not profiting by the exercises which form part of the ordinary
school curriculum.
Visits to baths, also, can be used as a very important part of education, if
the children are regularly constrained to use the facilities which are provided for
being quite clean before they enter the water, and if each child is constrained to
see that he leaves the baths if possible even in a better state than when he enters
the building. In this connection it is highly desirable that I should mention a very
objectionable practice which we all know does take place in baths ; it is obvious
that the teacher cannot control the children in this matt r of fouling the water, but
by repeated precept we might obtain a higher standard than unfortunately obtains
in so many public baths at the present time.
(c) Boxing.—The Secretary of the Barking Schools' Sports Association refers
all boys who have been selected for bouts in the boxing tournaments for a medical
inspection previous to the contests. If for any reason boys are unsuitable, they are
warned not to box. I would like to again offer my congratulations to this very
able Association for the successful organisation and conduct of the various
tournaments, games and sports in Barking throughout the year.