Children to skip to health

Press, 4 July 1985, Page 9

Children to skip to health

Children will skip their way to fitness and health in a new exercise programme being introduced in primary and intermediate schools. The “Jump Rope for Heart” programme has been organised by the National Heart Foundation and the Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (A.P.H.E.R.), which is the professional body of New Zealand’s physical, health, and recreation educators. The programme’s organiser, Mrs Jeanette Scholium, was in Christchurch yesterday to outline the programme to the local coordinating committee, which consists of Heart Foundation members and physical education teachers. She said that it was not yet known how many schools in the Canterbury area would take part, but a lot of support was expected. Any school taking part

would be given skipping ropes — usually about 30 a school, with one for the teacher, and a set of long ropes. At the end of the programme, during which the children were taught skipping skills, including footwork and long-rope techniques, the children would form groups of six, and would seek sponsorship from parents and friends for a three-hour skipping stint. The money raised from the sponsors would go to the schools: 20 per cent for health and physical education, 10 per cent would go to A.P.H.E.R., and the rest would go to the Heart Foundation to pay off the $60,000 spent on the programme. Any additional money would be spent on health education, said Mrs Scholium.

The idea of the programme was to encourage

children in an inexpensive form of vigorous exercise which could be used throughout their lives. “It is for the children to set their own fitness goals and levels, without having to compete,” Mrs Scholium said. “So often, schools, those who excel at sport are encouraged to carry on, and the others tend to drop out,” she said. The children would be taught the skipping skills in school hours, but would also use them during play hours. Jump Rope for Heart would begin at the start of the third term, and teachers would be taught the skills at the beginning of next month, she said. It would start in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. Schools in other areas, along with secondary schools, would be added next year.