TEACHING SWIMMING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 3

TEACHING SWIMMING

« Activities In Wellington Schools During the month of February, schools were expected to waive the ordinary programijie, and see that the children were taken as much as possible into the open air for practical tuition and in order to develop physique. It was only natural that, with such weather as prevailed that month, swimming should be given its true prominence in the curriculum.. Teachers, and members of the Wellington branch of the Y.M.C.A., devoted as much time as. possible to the tuition of this, necessary art. Mr. R. E. feachey, educational officer, stated yesterday that for the purpose of encouraging children to increase the distances they can swim, the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association has issued three certificates —learners (50 yards), proficiency (220 yards), and

merit (880 yards), which are issued to all those children who, under competent supervision, swim the requisite distances. In past years the Wellington City Council has granted a free pass for the whole of one season to any primary school child who qualifies for the certificate of merit. For the encouragement of those who can swim, but are rather awed by the distance that 50 yards can seem to the uninitiated, the Primary Schools’ Association has a certificate called the elementary, to be issued to all children who can swim not less than 25 yards. Out of the dozens of schools scattered through the area controlled by the Wellington Education Board, thirteen had, up till March 15, applied for certificates, as follows :—Elementary, 490; learners, 435; proficiency, 201; and merit, 106, making a grand ( total of 1221,