WARNING GIVEN

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 71, 16 December 1938, Page 12

WARNING GIVEN

Physical Training In

Schools

QUESTION OF MASTERS’ TIME A warning was given by the headmaster of Wellington College, Mr. W . a. Armour, at the college prize-giving ceiemony last night when dealing in ms report with physical training activities in the school. He said it was possible that parents and others who, in their enthusiasm, strongly advocated physical activity might, unknown to themselves, be doing a disservice to the school as a whole. , , , Did the parent’s desire the boys to continue on the way they were going, he asked, or did they consider the mastors wore not giving sufficient of then time to the physical activities of the boys? If the latter, they must see that it was almost impossible for their full demands to be met, and the ultimate result might be the regimentation of the control of school games in the hands of community instructors. Masters should irot be asked to undertake more than they were capable of doing. It might therefore be unwise to press the matter unduly, because in the ultimate the pupils might not be as well served ns they were at present. More Instruction. In. the portion of his annual report dealing with physical activity, Mr. Armour said: Physical fitness is regarded by us as a necessary basis for full human development- Instruction is therefore given regularly to all pupils. _ This year the amount of such instruction was increased, and though there was no definite method of summing up the results, I feel sure that the additional time thus employed proved to be of great benefit. Allied to this is the daily milk issue inaugurated this year. Over 80 per cent, of pupils participate in the milk ration. Unfortunately the- epidemic of measles occurring during the major portion of the middle term and extending into the third term made it impossible to estimate the advantages derived from the daily ration. My feel ing during the winter time was that the issue of a third of a pint instead of a half pint as a daily ration would be adequate. ■