PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 72, 18 December 1935, Page 6

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Value Stressed by Scots College Principal PRESENTATION OF PRIZES Great stress was laid on the value of physical education in schools by the principal of Scots College, Mr. J. R. Sutcliffe, in his annual report on the work of the college, presented at the break-up and prize-giving ceremony last evening. "Education should be the means by which we learn to appreciate and enjoy leisure, but although we make greaj efforts to develop the mind as a knowing and thinking organ with the view of combating mental illiteracy, little is done in most schools to deal wth what Dr. L. I’. Jacks calls ’physical illiteracy,’ ” eaid Mr. Sutcliffe. Physical illiteracy could be removed only by introducing correct methods of -physical instruction in schools by competent trained instructors, by making it a compulsory subject in the school curriculum available to all, and giving it a place equal with mental instruction among those tests by which the efficiency of a school was judged. "I do not mean that we should concentrate on those with natural physical gifts in an effort to produce a few champions, but to the bodies of every boy under intelligent control for the normal activities of life,” continued the principal. “The position in New Zealand is that it has been the exception rather than the rule that physical training should have its full place m the school curriculum, and while much has been done by voluntary effort on .he part of school teachers, mull; has been left undone through the ‘ittitude of the authorities. It may safely be stated that physical training in schoo.s has not kept pace with what is done 0.-t--side of them, and speaking generally it is the worst taught subject on the school syllabus. The reason is not so much the apathy of teachers as of •hose educational authorities who have fa ".id to appreciate the importance of physical tra’amg to the growing' clli'd. “One cannot condemn too strongly the practice common in some schools of either accepting the military system. of physical training for boys, or turning such training over to prefects and senior boys. Physical illiteracy will never be stamped out while physical training is a Cinderella subject in the school curriculum, administered in a half-hearted manner by an unwilling and untrained instructor or by an equally untrained but enthusiastic volunteer. It is possible that the subject has been regarded with a certain superciliousness by many school teachers who have been forced to teach what they have not mastered or ufniirstood themselves, but as the normal schools and colleges of physical training lengthen and broaden their curricula to meet the increased need and more thoroughly educated instructors become available, ‘this attitude toward the Cinderella subject should and must disappear.” The principal’s report had shown that the college, like the country, was climbing out of the depression, and deserved to be congratulated equally, said his Honour, Mr. Justice Smith. He, too, considered it most desirable that there should be a sound system of physical trainjug iff a secondary school, and he would like to see in addition a sound instruction in foods. In addition to the normal technical education provided there were other things he thought desirable. One was an attempt to develop the personality of each pupil. Each boy had certain potential qualities only discovered under a certain set. of circumstances. He would like to feel that the boy was in a little society, making friends who would help to bring out the best in him, all under the guidance of a helpful and understanding master. Then at the end of his schooling he would have a definite personality. “I should like to know that as the result of the training he had had at school the boy had learned to observe closely, to think about facts, and to reach his own conclusions,” concluded Mr. Justice Smith. ' Presentation oji Prizes. Prizes for the year were presented by Mrs., D. S. Smith as follow: — Primer -1. —General work: ,T. Owen, 1; D. Turner ,2; K. Park, 3. Drawing and handwork: ,T. Booker. Special progress prizes: English subjects, I>. Stone; arithmetic, J. McMillan; drawing and handwork, R. Kernohan and W. Eoreman. Primer 3.—General work, It. Harris, I; M. Sellen, 2. Drawing and handwork, G. Gibbons. Primer 2.—General work, D. Sutton, .1; G. Spencer, 2; drawing and handwork. G. Munson; progress prizes, T. Amos and B. Notley. Primer 1. —-General work and drawing, B. Wheeler; drawing and handwork, J. Foreman; progress prizes, P, Dunn and B. Rawson. Standard I.—General work, I. Geddis, 1; D. McKinlay, 2; drawing and handwork, N. Donoghue; special progress prize, I. Crick. Standard 2.—General work, B. Haycock; drawing and handwork, B. Haycock; divinity, P. Brood; special progress prize, presented by Mrs. H. Geddis. M. McMillan. Standard 3.—General work, B. Wong She, 1; G. Birks. 2; drawing and handwork, B. Wong She. Standard 4.—General work, B. Lambie, 1; B. Gibbons, 2; drawing and handwork, A. Hudson. Standards 3 and 4.—Divinity, B. Sellen. Borm I.—General work, R. Richmond, 1; J. Sewell, 2; drawing and handwork, A. Spence. Form 11-—General work, V. Chapman, 1; W. Bryson, 2; drawing and handwork, G. Gibbons.

Forms I and II. —Divinity (Clark Johnson Memorial Prize), H. Tattersail, 1; M. Ashbolt, 2. Dux o£ Lower School, gold medal presented by Mrs. J. S. Land, V. Chapman.

Form Hlb.—Divinity, J. Wilson; languages, M. Stedman; English. R. Martin; science, R. Martin; mathematics, R. Martin; history and geography, P. Kempthorne.

Form Illa.—Divinity, P. Johnstone; English, D. Gray; languages, J. Feast; science, J. Feast; mathematics, J. Feast;, history and geography, H. Anderson. Form IV.—Divinity, R. Burling; languages, R. Burling; science, R. Burling; mathematics, R. Burling; history aud geography, R. Burling: English, R. McLaren; commercial work, Y. Wong She. Form Vb. —Languages, E. Wall; English, E. Wall; science, E. Wall; mathematics, R. Hooker; geography, R. Hooker; commercial and agricultural science, D. Robertson.

Form Va.—Languages. S. Culliford : English, S. Culliford: mathematics, S. Culliford: science, M. King; geography, A. Wall. . „ „ Forms Va and Vb. —History, D. Brown; Clark Johnson Memorial prize for divinity. S. Culliford. ~ Form Vl.—English, language and history, J. Raine; mathematics and science, J Baine; higher leaving certificate, J. Raine. Dux of the School.—Gold medal presented bv Messrs. Mayer and Kean. A. Hunter, Public Speaking.—Junior grade (Mrs. Sutcliffe’s prize), G. Campbell; senior grade (old boys’ prize). D. Brown.