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156
Organised Games.
The present facilities for organised games remain as last year,
but the filling up of the Ballast Pit (Oliver Road Playing Field) is
progressing and one portion will be ready for use as soon as the
grass is sufficiently well grown. The available grass areas are fully
used for the Field Games by both boys and girls.
Swimming.
The policy of making swimming a recognised subject of instruction
(referred to in last year's Report) was successfully introduced
for the summer season of 1938. With the exception of
children exempted for medical reasons all pupils in the highest
year of the Junior Schools and also those in the lowest year of the
Senior and Central Schools attended the Baths for instruction
in their normal school classes. Thus, children will receive a two
years' course of instruction in swimming during their school course.
All children above the lowest year in Senior and Central Schools
continue to attend the Baths during their school careers and thus
have opportunities of consolidating the instruction received during
the two years' course and of acquiring a liking for swimming as a
healthy recreation.
The co-operation of the Baths Superintendent and Staff is
much appreciated in initiating the new swimming scheme, as is the
helpful attitude of Head Teachers in drafting time-tables to fit in
with the swimming arrangements.
An increase was experienced in the number of pupils who
attended the Baths during the winter months. This seems to
indicate that the new swimming scheme has increased interest in
swimming.
Ive Farm Gymnasium.
During the year under review a fully equipped gymnasium,
70 feet by 40 feet, was opened on the Ive Farm Playing Field.
The building also contains two classrooms. Ten Senior Schools,
five Boys' and five Girls', each spend a weekly session there making
full use of the building. The visit to the gymnasium is very
popular with both teachers and children.
Footwear.
Plimsols have now been supplied by the Education Committee
for all children in Junior, Senior and Central Schools, while replacements
have been made in Infants' Schools of worn out shoes