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123
I wish to emphasise a recommendation made in previous reports
by Dr. Veitch Clark, that the plans for future schools should
provide for classroom windows capable of folding back, casementwise,
so that practically the whole side of the room can thus be
thrown open.
PHYSICAL TRAINING.
(a) Girls' and Infants' Departments.
The physical training is conducted by the teachers in the
schools, and is supervised by the Organiser of Physical Training,
Miss Appleton, who reports as follows:—
Report of the Organiser of Physical Training, 1923. Senior
Mixed, Girls', Junior Mixed and Infants' Departments.
Physical Training in the Elementary Schools has been carried
on on much the same lines as in former years.
Six sessions weekly, as hitherto, have been devoted to visiting
the schools, observing the physical training lessons, advising
and demonstrating when necessary. In this way the work of
each teacher has been seen about twice during the year, and
in addition to this organised games and swimming lessons have
been supervised.
A daily physical training period (including the time devoted
to games and swimming) continues to be the rule in many schools;
the minimum of sixty minutes allowed by the Board of Education
is still in force in many others.
The syllabus of physical training issued by the Board of
Education in 1919 is used in all schools under my organisation.
During the autumn term, six girls' departments continued in
an effort to secure some standards of athletic ability among school
children. These tests were carried out in co-operation with the
Association of Organisers of Physical Education, which hopes
eventually to secure definite national standards of athletic efficiency
for children of various ages. The tests carried out in
Craydon were limited to (A) standing long jump, and (B) running
hop, step and jump. Three hundred and sixty girls
between the ages of 12 and 14 were tested in Croydon, and the
average results obtained were:—
Jump A.—1 (12 years), 4ft. 2in.; 2 (13 years), 4ft. 5m.;
3 (14 years), 5ft.
Jump B.—1 (12 years), 15ft.; 2 (13 years), 16ft. ½in.; 3
(14 years), 17ft. gin.
The longest Jump A recorded was 6ft. 8in., and the longest
Jump B was 25ft. 1in.
The records for the whole country have not yet been published
by the Association of Organisers of Physical Education.
The Croydon tests were much enjoyed by the girls taking part,
who were keenly interested. It is hoped to conduct further tests
in 1924.