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Training Courses for Club Leaders in (a) Camping and Open
Air Activities, (b) Ballroom Dancing, (c) Recreational Gymnastics,
have been held during the year, the popularity of which
has been sufficient to justify a continuation of this provision.
It appears to be typical of the attitude of youth to-day that
they seem unable to appreciate the importance of regular and
punctual attendance either at classes of instruction or even at
voluntary team games. This failure to recognise these elementary
social obligations to their class or team companions has
been a source of continued disappointment both to their club
leaders and others concerned in their welfare.
Conclusion.
The Education Act of 1944, in setting a new and higher
standard of provision for the health and physical welfare of
children and young people, will do much to alleviate those conditions
which for many years have restricted the full and complete
development of physical education in our schools. With
conditions already slowly but definitely improving, we may
look forward to a future in which this subject may at last assume
its rightful place in the general trend of educational advance.
(Signed) GEO. H. ATKINSON.
F. M. BENTLEY.
Provision of Meals.
Unfortunately, little progress was made during 1945 towards
'implementing the Committee's proposals for extension of the
School Meals Service, due to the delay in obtaining the
Ministry's approval in consequence of the operation of the
Education Act, 1944.
In September the Committee reviewed the proposals made
for the erection of kitchen and dining huts at schools, and in
certain cases alterations were agreed to to increase the facility
in the light of existing requirements.
For the year ended 31st March, 1945, the total number of
®eals served to children attending Primary and Secondary
Modern Schools was 307,383. This figure shows a falling off
in numbers due to the fact that evacuation was in force for the
heater part of the year. A truer indication of the trend of the
service of meals to children is seen from a return made to the
Ministry of Education, which showed that on one day in October
2,752 children attending Primary and Secondary Modern Schools
had a midday meal at school, being 61.12 per cent, of the total
attendance,