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306
Girls.
(Selective Central, Senior and Junior Mixed, Senior and Junior
Girls', Infants' and Special Schools).
The year 1937 brought many important schemes forward in
connection with Physical Training—schemes which will ultimately
have far reaching effects in the health and development of all children,
and others, with whom the Local Education Authority has
to deal. The Government Scheme was embodied in a "White Paper
on Physical Training and Recreation, in February, 1937 (No. 5364)
and was followed bv the Physical Training and Recreation Act,
1937, in July.
The suggestions of Circular 1445, issued by the Board of Education
in 1936, have been carried out as far as possible, especially
as concerns the Elementary Schools. There is, whenever possible,
a daily period of organised physical activity—physical exercises,
organised games, swimming, dancing and athletics included. The
provision of gymnasia, shower baths and changing rooms is included
in the plans for the rebuilding of the Lady Edridge Selective Central
and the Purley Oaks Senior Schools. The new building at St.
Luke's Special School, opened during the year, is supplied with
changing rooms and showers, also, a satisfactory supply of hot water
is included in all new and re-conditioned schools.
In connection with Circular 1450, all schools were supplied
during the year with a certain number of gymnastic shoes for use
in Physical Training lessons, for those children whose parents were
unable to provide them. This has overcome much of the difficulty
experienced by children unable to take part satisfactorily in agility
movements and general activities, owing to unsuitable footwear.
It has been a pleasure to see the obvious joy of many children able
to enter fully, for the first time, into the jumping and vaulting
exercises and games which form such a valuable part of the modern
physical training lesson.
The majority of children now make a definite effort to remove
superfluous clothing for the physical training lessons, though the
habit of changing into special clothing is not yet practicable owing
to lack of changing room accommodation. For this reason the
provision of special kit for physical training has not yet been considered.
All Selective Central, Senior and Junior schools, with one
exception, sent classes to the Baths during the Summer season.
This year, for the first time, the Senior schools were given the