School Swimming Baths

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 18 September 1937, Page 14

School Swimming Baths

The complaint made by Mr J. J. Hurley at the meeting of the Canterbury Education Board yesterday that many school swimming baths round Christchurch are in an unsatisfactory condition* is disturbing. Mr Hurley went as far as to say that some of the baths were in a bad condition structurally and were insanitary; and his report was confirmed by Mr W. T. Langley, who' said that sothe of the baths were in a deplorable condition. The Education Department has been giving tKe matter of restoring grants for the maintenance of school baths " careful " consideration " since last March, when representations were made to the department by the Education Board. It is to be hoped that the Wanartmont'B cans id ora t.ino will crystal-Lisa into

a decision to make immediately available sufficient money to restore the baths to a healthy condition so that they can be used with safety by the children as soon as the swimming season commences. Swimming baths are almost an essential part of the equipment of the modern school. They can be an important factor in maintaining the health of the growing child and contributing to its physical development as well as providing a convenient means of teaching swimming. They can, if neglected, as the baths complained of appear to have been, be actually a menace to the health of the children and as such, should be closed until such time as the necessary repairs have been made. That to have to do this in the swimming season would be a deplorable state of affairs needs no emphasis. The department should act without further delay.