“Misleading Conclusions” In Child Fitness Tes

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 12

“Misleading Conclusions” In Child Fitness Tes

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 23. Though the recent statement by the vice-president of the Physical Education Society of New Zealand (Mr S. A. Lewis), that 38 per cent, of a section of New Zealand children had failed in a group of physical fitness tests was correct, the conclusions he drew were quite misleading, the Chief Inspector of Primary Schools (Mr J. L. Ewing) said on Saturday. “However, this does not mean that the results of the tests should be ignored,” he said. “Surveys of this kind can have considerable value.

“The tests that were applied

to New Zealand children r wghe American in origin, usualh IReti ferred to as the Kraus-W-UT y tests and comprise six for the lower back and muscles. [ “For example, test 111 req**—“ a child to lie supine on a it with his hands behind his i| and legs extended. Keeping I < knees straight, he lifts his 10 inches off the table and k< them in that position for . seconds.” However, the reliability of tl tests as a measure of physical ; ness was open to doubt, he i 1 The fact that the same test : applied to both primers and a (Nev escents would naturally affect results. _ The fact noted in the Dep ment of Health’s latest sui "* r that the present generation New Zealand children beta the ages of five and 15 were gr ■*** ing faster and were heavier 1 L® 1 children in 1934, could not ignored. “A great deal of research be necessary before satisfac " a ‘ 0 tests that take into account cj "■ ten’s development accordix?! ;. se ' age and their varying body i - . cart be devised,” said Mr EW “ In America, 4264 children tween the ages of six and 16, tested in the six exercises similarly 2870 children were tri ,' in Europe and 6221 in New land. The tests were a rough Kq?" sure of the state of cel Jr* muscles and the results in . Zealand were certainly not all ing. “Though, of course, it is possible to make a compa. at with physical education in past, we do know that New 1 1 land children performed be 1 than the American children te and not so well as the Europ »_ children,” he said.