MILITARY PHYSICAL TRAINING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 139, 12 June 1912, Page 8

MILITARY PHYSICAL TRAINING

10 THE tBIIOU. Sir, — A few weeks ago there appeared in the columns of jour paper a. lette,r by '".Senior C«ulet," complaining of the military physical training u^ applied to Ciidub. In Friday's issue of Tho Post I boo two well-known schoolmasters (Mr. Milner, principal Auckland Training College, aud Mr. Rudinan, principal Thames Hijrh School) complaining of tho saino thing, in "Senior CadetV letter ho %cry rightly complains of tho incompetcnuy of tho military drill instructors of the Defence Forco to undertake tho physical training of our youths. In your paper of Friday, Mr. Milner is reported to have said, "That what is wanted is a, more natural system of building up tho physiquo of our children, and that more attention BJjould bo paid to gymnastics." This is only what 1 hav-o been expecting for some time, but 1 would make a further su^geetion, i.e., that we get men qualified to teach physical training. 1 would also ask if military drill instructors are qualified to teach our youths physical training 'i Is' physical training so unimportant that wo can hand it over to anyone to teach? In the Array -at Home the man who directs physical training iß_ a certificated gymnastic instructor, one who has passed his examinations in physical training in all ils branches, in anatomy and physiology. Have wo got such men here? If not, I would ask what is tho reason? They are no move expensive than the other drill instructors and far more valuable to children. 1 ssiy, without fear of contradiction, that tho whole of the children of New Zealand rould receive the very best of physical training at a far les'j coot than what it takes now to run tho Junior Cadet Department, which caters for boys of a certain age only. ThL> matter of physical training is of national importance, and it is now time &ouietuing was doing. As it i-; at present it in a, farce, and a costly one, as many teachers ag«&. It is becoming in many schools for teachers to luko Hi tie nolk'O of thoio. instructbr^. jMuuy toucherb proter to uso their or.ii jiK-tliods, tho impression being that tho military sergeant instructors do not understand children enough to bo able to teach them. I should very much like to have- other teachei'3' opinions on tho subject. — I am, etc., TEACHER. Bth June, 1912.

Knicker: Did jour father giro you an auto? Bocksr r Yes, but he didn't endow it.