SWIMMING TUITION

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 5

SWIMMING TUITION

IN PRIMAEY SCHOOLS THE CHILDREN'S WELFARE Considerable discussion took place at last night's meeting of the Wellington Head Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association regarding the teaching of swimming in schools, •, - The question arose during the presentation for the approval of the centre of remits to the annual meeting of delegates of the association to be held at Auckland during the Dominion swimming championships. Mr. F. Pinfold brought forward the remit, ."That the Government be approached with a,view to making swimming a compulsory subject for the proficiency examination when facilities are available, and that swimming be also compulsory in .the training of teachers." ■■■'-; Mr.. Pinfold, who represented the Wellington Public, Primary Schools' Swimming Association, said that all of the training colleges, were already provided v/ith facilities for the tuition of swimming, and classes were held. Locally, without compulsory measures, the teachers were making splendid progress. ' During last year, 549 certificates for proficiency in swimming 25 yards had been gained, an increase of nearly 300 per cent, on the previous year. ■ ' Out of 29 public schools in the district served by the local association, .23 were affiliated. Most of these were devoting half an hour every day, or every other day, to the encouragement of swimming. BETTER FACILITIES. The urgent need for better facilities was urged by Mr. D. S. N McCartney, of the Wellington Club. Proper instruction at Te Aro Baths was impossible, for many reasons. To his mind, the decision of the Primary Schools' Association to hand back the competitive trophies to the centre had been a retrograde step. Instruction must have as its end the development of competent swimmers, not mere dogpaddlers, and this could only be developed by training in competition. "Nowadays the people who get into difficulties are those who can swim a little bit. Usually the strong swimmers and those who cannot swim and know it are exempt from drowning accidents," said Mr. McCartney. He concluded with an expression of appreciation of- the work of the Primary Schools' Association. Under the present conditions, replied Mr. Pinfold, the best the teachers could do was to instruct children in the elements .of swimming. The average teacher was not himself a high-grade performer, and the main drawing force behind the association was to give the children a better chance than the teachers had had themselves. TEACHERS' GOOD WORK. It was pointed out by Mr. P. F. Coira that most opposition had been previously met with from the central teaching body itself on the. ground that the teachers already had enough to do. In latter years there had been a change, particularly in the attitude of the younger teachers. Mr. Pinfold's remit was unanimously approved for submission. ■ The meeting voted unanimously in favour of a remit proposed by Mr. W. H. Gerrie, chairman of the centre, to the effect that when new schools are erected, the Government should be asked to have baths installed for tuition in swimming.