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44
(b) Organised Games. Arrangements for regular weekly
visits to the playing fields for organised games have
again been continued for all senior schools, but here
again the problem of footwear, especially for football
and hockey, makes it impossible for children to derive
maximum benefits from their instruction. Amongst the
senior girls, however, there is a marked improvement
in the standard of winter games.
(c) Swimming. The Education Committee is fully aware
of the importance of swimming in the general scheme
of physical education, and would readily support the
view that every child should be taught to swim before
leaving school.
The practicability of conveying children to and from
the open air bath is, however, an impossibility under
present conditions, and even were this possible, the
problem of overcrowding of the bath by the general
public and the brevity of the open air swimming season,
would still restrict the development of this subject on
really sound lines.
It has been estimated that not more than one in ten
of the elementary school children in this Borough are
able to swim one width of a swimming bath, and little
improvement can be expected until provision is made
for the erection of a closed bath designed for learners
only, and available for instruction the whole year round.
(d) Dancing. The introduction of the natural movement
type of dancing as now termed "Modern Dance," has
been a new development during the past year. Experimental
work with selected girls' classes has shown that
in the hands of suitable teachers, assisted by good
pianists, results have more than justified the claims of
this branch of physical education to take a prqminent
place in all future schemes.
(e) School Club Activities. The importance of educating
children in habits of good social behaviour and in the
wise use of leisure, has lately received wide recognition,
and the Education Committee's interest in fostering the
development of school clubs has been well repaid.
The following are some of the activities which have
proved successful as the means of promoting club ideals
within our senior schools : Inter-club games and competitions,
boxing, and gymnastics, indoor games, e.g.,
chess, table tennis, etc., field sketching, handicrafts,