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112
At the request of the Medical Officer of Health, two Demonstrations
of Physical Training were also arranged in connection with
Health Week, May 3rd — 8th, at the Gas Company's Hall in Katharine
Street. Three schools took part, and the Demonstrations, which
included physical exercises, gamts and dances, were well attended
both by parents and the public generally. 1 would like, here, to
express my gratitude to the teachers who aided me in all these
Demonstrations and who, by their unfailing co-operation and
enthusiasm, made it possible for them to be arranged.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education again refers
in his Annual Report, 1919, to the difficulties of unsuitable clothing.
We have certainly encountered this difficulty, especially this year, when
suitable material has been almost prohibitive in price ; but great
progress has been made in the provision of suitable shoes, and the
number of schools where the children wear shoes, either home-made or
proper gymnastic ones, has increased considerably. In many schools
the parents are giving loyal support and encouragement under difficult
home circumstances—in fact, I think one of the most hopeful features
of the year's work is the interest taken by many of the parents in the
Physical Training carried on in the schools. I hope it may be
possible during the coming year to give them more opportunities,
by way of Demonstrations, etc., to see the work that is being
accomplished
At all the Demonstrations, quoted earlier in this Report, a table
was arranged on which were shown suitable garments for wear during
physical training which, with one or two exceptions, had been made by
children in school
Equipment for the proper carrying out of the training is still
inadequate, but the schools have made efforts to supply what is
absolutely necessary, e.g., bean bags, team colours, ropes, balls, etc.
In most cases the children are supplying their own colours, etc. The
Organizer of Handicraft is giving valuable help by letting the boys at
the Handicraft Centres make jumping stands for use in the schools.
A daily period for physical training is not yet universal, although
it is found on the time tables of most of the schools where the value of
this training is realised.
Considerable disappointment was felt at the decision of the
Education Committee not to allow the older scholars 10 use the
recreation grounds for their organised games. At the request of the
Committee, the Head Teachers and I had drawn up a scheme by
which the boys and the girls in the upper standards of those schools
near to recreation grounds would be able to have their games' lessons
there rather than in the smaller space of the playground, and we were
looking forward hopefully to the benefits which would accrue thereby.
May I respectfully urge that the Committee will reconsider their
decision on this matter, and if it is found impossible to provide any
equipment for use in the recreation grounds, permission may at least
be granted to use the recreation grounds for such organised games as
can be taken without apparatus or with apparatus provided by the
schools themselves ? I would again quote from the Report of the
Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education : " Games may prove
of almost equal importance with the more formal lessons for children.