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OPEN-AIR EDUCATION.
(1) Playground Classes.
A playground class was held at the Infants' Department of
the Woodside School, where during the summer 30 children
selected from those who have some physical disability had their
lessons in a shed in the playground.
There is no doubt that an extension of this provision to other
schools would be of material help in improving the health and at
the same time the capacity for education of the weakly children
in the school.
(b) School Journeys.
A large number of the Senior Departments take advantage
of Article 44 of the Code to pay visits during school hours to
places of educational interest. These visits are naturally restricted
to places in the locality, e.g., the Aerodrome, Public Library,
Whitgift Almshouses, the Old Palace, and various industrial
works, such as Messrs. Gillett & Johnston, the Electricity Works,
Waterworks, etc.
Occasional visits are also undertaken to develope interest in
geography and nature study by field work and rambles.
Several schools also utilise Saturdays for the purpose of
making extended visits either to London for the purpose of visiting
historical buildings, museums, etc., or into the country in connection
with their geography and nature study syllabuses. These
journeys and visits are undoubtedly productive of a great deal
of good.
(c) School Camps.
No school camps were held during the year. It is to be hoped
that arrangements will have matured during the coming summer
for the regular use of Pilgrim Fort, near Caterham, as a school
camp. The site is on high wooded ground, and is ideal for the
purpose, giving every facility for instruction in nature study,
geography, geology, and general science in a most beautiful and
healthy environment.
(d) (e) (f) Open-air Schools or Classrooms.
There are at present no open-air residential or day schools, or
open-air classrooms.
There can be no doubt that the provision of suitable accommodation
for open-air education would be of real benefit to the
town, reaping its reward almost immediately in the great increase
in educability of the debilitated children, whose health is rapidly
improved under such a regime, while the improvement in health
in many of the children is permanent, and implies a diminished
cost to the public as well as to the private purse in later years,
when good health is a vital factor in the efficiency of the worker.