SCHOOL SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 130, 29 November 1932, Page 5

SCHOOL SWIMMING

THE CERTIFICATE • DIFFICULTY

The distribution of school children's swimming certificates has.been exercising the minds of officials throughout New Zea- ~,

land for some time. At last evening's meeting of the Wellington Swimming Centre a circular letter was received from the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, stating that it is impossible to continue the old policy of free issue. It had therefore been proposed that a charge of 6d per child should be made. Present economic conditions, however, would prevent the parents of many children meeting the cost. In these cases a headmaster's certificate verifying inability to pay would be_ acceptable, and as far as stocks permitted certificates would be issued free of charge in such cases.

, The local association ■ has written in reply that the centre is of the opinion that it would be impossible to obtain the co-operation of teachers in collecting (3d from each child who applies for a certificate. It is considered that it is not too late to put into operation the proposal made by the centre to the. Government two years ago asking it to print certificates free' of charge afc the Government Printing Office, and asking the P. and T. Department to give free postage on these certificates. .

The secretary, Mr. N. N. Oldershaw, stated that the Wanganui Centre was having certificates printed on its own accord. "The New Zealand Association's scheme is'of no value at all," said the chairman, Mr.-N. McCartney. "I think that i£ we cannot prevail upon the Government to assist we will have to do the thing ourselves. Rather than ask the children to pay 6d apiece we will have to formulate a scheme of our own." While speaking in connection with a proposal by the Canterbury Centre, that registration fees should not be paid for two seasons, Mr. F. Wilton expressed the opinion that fees collected during the coming_season should be devoted to the education fund of the association toward the cost of certificates for school children for the next two years. This proposal, however, was not endorsed, as the amount received from this. source would be insufficient for the object. A lecture will be delivered at Victoria University College at 8 p.m. tomorrow by Professor F. P. Wilson, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi. His Excellency the Governor-General will be present, also the Italian Consul (Signor Formichella). The lecture will be de-| Uvexed.by courtesy of .the Victoria Col-lege-CpuriciL '-'-■'■■■■■•'•'