TEACHING THE TEACHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 184, 4 August 1913, Page 7

TEACHING THE TEACHERS.

THE AST OF PHYSICAL CTiX-TUUE. CLA9FES TX AUCKLAKD. A most successful opening was marie tihis morning wi'.h the Auckland teachers' training course in connvction with the system of scientific physical instruction recently i n woehiced by the Ediueation .Department. The work re bp'np carried out under the direct supervision of Mr Royil O.irlick (Director of Physical Education), ami his capable stuff of ins-trurtor". .The conrsp will covpt five mid n-hii!f 'hours a d*ay for five dsjs in blip week during tbe next ■fortnight.

The Auckland classes are being attended by close upon 340 teachers of both sexp?, and these are trained in uniform squads by the fonr lady and six men instructors," as follows:-

In the V.M.C.A. flyromiKiu-in: Headmasters. Messrs S. Moore and V. R -lust . At the T>rill Hall: Two sq-iads of assistant teachers. Messrs -Tnbnson nnd Roydhoust-. and Messrs Gailoway and l/ongworth.

At Hie Trades Hall: Senior ladies' squad. Mis.s Grern-.iood.

Af the An Society's Hall: Squad of ladies under barsrn.

In the V.M.C.A. Toricert Hall: sqnad nnder >fiss llerit.-i.gp.

At St. -lames' Hall: squad under Mfcs Blackburn.

These teachers' instruction rlnsses have bnpTi decided upon us the most practicable method nf rnV-tiwly introducing into the schools thn art and pracliVr of phvsieal culture upon modern lines. It w.-is a matter that eav P pause for much serious thought how best (o impart the neerssarv kmiwledpre of the now system and nil it stood for without disloenlin;;: I he ordinary school routine. TV Kducnlion Rnards in the North especially, were anxioHH to have thp services of t.h"e instructors at an early date. In Hnwkp'e Bay a selection of ahoiit 150 teacb-rs was iissemhlrd a.L Napier, and was there put through 1 lie. course that has been drawn up by Air. Garliek. The .Auckland Education" District was nest visited. At Hamilton four weeks ajr<> ISO tcsehe.Ts underwent thp departmental course, and in the fortnight whit-b ended on Saturday last a similar number had covered the same jnvnrnd at Wliangarei. When the Auckland City classes are condnded Mr. fJartick and his staff will move on to conduct, classe* of from HO t<) 70 teachers each at Thames and Paeroa. respectively. Wherj the whole of the edneation districts in New Zealand have been covered it is hoped to be able to allot an instructor to each district to instruct those teachers who could not be crrrmped into clasf.es as at present being held, and to supervise the physical education of the children ffenorally.

In arranging for Ihesv instructiona.l groups tho administrative Kdueaiion Board ha.=> >o consider the pos.--i.'iifilv of sniitable arcommodation being a.vailable for nil teachers likely to attend the classes. An allowance of £1 ppr week boarding allowance is mado where necessary, and railv<-av fares arc paid. When the back of the work, as ie were, has been broken, it is probable that :i FysU>ni of "'instructional camps" will \>r nbln to be undertaken with success. The "'cour.-c under canvss" «ill he given to r ;qniid'» of thirty men, and will include snch suhjerts as swimming, life-saving, and kindred instruction. Of tbe pbwiea.l instruction ennrse it.self it is inlorfHting to note that the syllabus of exercises is that which hai* f>cpn adopied by the Ixindon Board of Kdneati-on and has been approved by the most eminent medical men in the world, j'he system has been based on the Swedish Fvstem of progression of exercises to suit the normal rate of a child's development from the age of seven to the age of 14 years.

Vr-rv great attention is paid to correct breathing- a riopartrarnt of scientific physical culture upon which Mr. (iarlick is an acknowledged expert, and in which the New Zealand syllabus is an improvement upon the Swedish systems. From the ajie of eight yrars to 14 years the children will be systematically drilled in "breathing." At an earlier age the child i.s timply told and shown how to breathe, because, as Mr. (I'arlick explains, a child has no coutrol over his brain centre lmtil he has reached the age of eight, years.

The course has boon carefully constructed, also, to instil the elements of rli?ripline, and thu< to lead to polf-diw.iplinc and proper n> ordination of body and mind. A i>pcii;:l and very attractive featu.ro 's the attention civen to "oriranisrd games." instruction iv which iby lhi> tiriio these instructors urn throujrb) will pnsublr the teaj-hcr« in ii lew moments to direct thp otherwise, perhaps, aimfes? effort of thpir cliiidrfn into Hearly de-fined elrannr , !*". Thr oxppripnee at all the <-.lassea tlia.l have far hern hrW is that, after n. fortnight of the iK-Ural work done, the traoher? fhomeelvps beronip the keenest arlvnca-trp of tlie f-our^e.

At t!ie claesee .held thiri niorniiii: sninft of thr- teachers appearwl in ordinnry clofchinr. anrl others Wfth loose flannel? more suitable for free exereitte. "No." said one of the inetructorst «hrn .->pnkrn to on the point, ""we don't ineifil upon everybody iippoarinj; in cnerttimc, TeacherK are sensible men. and soon drop to it. To do our work in ordinary rlfilliM iri like n.ivvyinw in a dresa-siiit." There line undoubtedly been a pood deal of misconception about theei- t'kifisea Oif inFtruction. which will >oon bn rliepelled by actual tontoe.t wif.Ti the cheerfnl, calm, big-c.hested men, who are siirh splendid examples "t phyrtienl fitness, and are imbued with the highest ideuls of their profession.

There wjis om> point in connection with the physical instruction scheme upon which, Mr. Garlkk mentioned to a "Btar" reporter this morning, there had been some m.irsundeTstanding. Majiy teachpiß, he said, Warned vhe new system for pushing out the school cadet system. That was not the rvasc. Tlw. physic-al instrnctore were in no way antagonistic to school <'adefcs. and there I v;a* nothing to prevent their being oon- I tinued at the individual wish of eaoh school.