OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18073, 15 May 1924, Page 11

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS

gjgpg IN DEVELOPMENT.

SPEN-AIE CLASSES AND «SCHOOL JOURNEYS»

U a previous article the case for the ".air school, as a means of develop- ' "healthy minds in healthy bodies, 108 et ont. K mnst not bc 08 ,ffMß rer that educational leaders W «d in one bound from the tradiS barn type of school-house to the M«l class unit which, it is to be hoped, will gradually supersede our present ■ XvHow many headmasters, under the ' ." •_' *t an overerowded school on a strain o* **" , . . t gonuner's day, have sent a teacher t with » class t0 the nearest treeß * Here we ha™ the most P rimitive form of open-air instruction; classes in played* ?arfc» or other open spaces. It is ohriooa that the extent to which this form oi open-air instruction can, used depends on the absence of rain. Wind up to what the sailor ealls a "stiff'breeze," need not keep a class • doors, and other disadvantages comurged >re not so serious as they at first appear to be. The'first objection usually urged against such classes is that the children's attention will wander. This is true only when the classes are spasmodieTlf it is the re e nlar thin £ for the children to be instructed in the Dlayeroarid or park, they soon become ujetTto their environment, and their attention is : just as good as in the jehoolhOttSeV "This has been proved by experience. striking examples of ffieposribiUry-of teaching children un- *' der what, would seem to be distracting arcinnstanees can be found in London. Soine plantations opposite private resi-dences-in-Euston road were used last sMimerbx pupils from the heighbourv uKf elementary school. As this road jjfohe of the main links between the eastanithe west, and is the terminus .of tnrM'niani lines from the north, it nay „bei safely concluded that there_ is '•' no piaygrijund iu New Zealand with more favourable; surroundings.^ If is .merely a question of habit. If ; the hisses; are. the regular thing the Children'quiekly become used to them work does not suffer. ;-^,;>:V : 'Wind Bogey.

Another objection often raised is the ififfl&'jJNg&'ejinig pie f nres are drawn oflpojSls noisily chasing books and pfipen, vhile the mistress holds her Of course, shelter from itnßCTTtr&ufc'aiid dost js necessary, hut ts£iniui T&ogey—wliich is really no jjjfgjy'at all but a health bringer—is c&rdone. of'pages turning over ft T Sf» M easily overcome 'vith j tfcd spring paper clips, or elastic banis, ,i£-th«y are pieferred for stiff-backed '.B«lJcß. v, For writing purposes it would tffVnmpta .jnatter to supply the paper to those used _-by of In'the is done at that of aeat*i*s» vxßmß&tyianaf' confronts schools s3*B*tt««W Wit up with the deadly, long children arc herded of height as* Tomb however. many schools by imi jtwi *M,vHheß. all our schools arjj^^gfe'ir^fiey"shoul'd'oc, wftF individual table 'm4*«ia&>- s iMr difficulty will disappear. emmerioo with open-air classes, it 4|pi»liH>tflrba added only that many are clore to for open-air instruction! West Chihtchurch, under $ w«BßJnbrecs; and Sydenham, handy " j9J Park. .„, • IC' -■:■-■'":'-:*? 3is'i"t* v Bcfiool Jouraersl » *--Y"j ./£|i»t|er-farm of open-air instruction, j jjfiajf'&tienijrted in our country, though | England, is the ' 'school 'Jraiftjjri'f -Children are encouraged to 1 1 sf& forenoon 's good work by the prbafternoon will be delesson in natural history or K * enee 80mewnere > or a ***P I where they will learn ;,*jrgmi,swSat la more important, nnderf'progw&of'the earth, and the action ,-4w^,«xplanatian_ are at last beginning ( >-s|[#k##tnatrtn'ere is a better way of young than cramming; * 'SS.! 8 T)elieving, and under- *~ Experiment an< i prackjguLJHttstration are being more used; t^ro&a^beelßmißg^'more shepherds than lAJfgS&LftfaC point of view, .alsoj, have their vaiu*e r scholars cannot travel''toy bring to them. B is value as a break in the un3*iS?.< WB traint of the schoolhouse, and cramped muscles to : in* the open air, that this i "9}*j|?f *&■ most concerned, however. The «gf)alrlvaln« of school journeys is i in England, where lemoved to the seaside or from the thick air of the metimes for days, or even [lities of the open-air class, tfied form, the "school »wever, must obviously lictly limited by weather id local circumstances, irficle will show the limi; en-air class-rooms, and the if open-air schools.