View report page

144
crippling conditions is under consideration by a joint Sub-Committee
of the Education and Public Health Committees. Such a
scheme, while attacking the problem of crippling at its origin,
would incidentally render the classes here referred to even more
effective than they are under existing conditions.
OPEN-AIR EDUCATION.
(a) Playground Classes.
A playground class was held during the summer months at
the Infants' Department of the Woodside School, some 30 children
selected from those with some physical disability receiving instruction
in a shed in the playground.
An extension of this provision to other schools would be of
material help in improving the health and 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.
Some 3,000 children from Senior Departments throughout the
Borough visited the British Empire Exhibition. The programmes
were prepared and carried through by the teachers, and were of the
greatest interest and benefit to the children.
(c) School Camps.
A school camp was held during the summer months at Pilgrim
Fort, near Caterham—an elevated site, well wooded, on gravel soil,
lying on the crest of the escarpment of the North Downs, looking
down over the plain of the Weald to the south. The camp is provided
with a piped water supply from the East Surrey Water Company,
is provided with permanent buildings which have been
found readily adaptable for sleeping quarters, messroom, etc.;
and has been provided with satisfactory deep trench closet accommodation
of army pattern. The following extracts from a report
presented by the Clerk to the Education Committer will illustrate
the scope of the camp:—
During the past summer, camps have been arranged at Pilgrim Fort
each week from 24th May to 12th July, and from 30th August to the end
of September. Approximately 260 boys and girls from the Elementary
Schools will have enjoyed the privileges of camping in this delightful
plaoe. Each camp consisted of a minimum of 20 campers in charge of a
master or mistress, although en occasions two schools united to form a
camp of 40.