PHYSICAL FITNESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 99, 23 October 1936, Page 9

PHYSICAL FITNESS

BRITISH SCHEME

NEW SCHOOL AS FOUNDATION

(British Official Wireless. Jf RUGBY, October 21.

The President of the Board of Edu« cation, Mr. Oliver Stanley, in a speech at the opening today of a new; central school for 1000 children, de« signed on modern lines and occupying over sixteen acres, referred to the Government's new campaign, for phy* sical fitness.

He said that the Board of Education was determined to give every possible assistance and encouragement to camping, and instanced the spacious grounds, playing fields, and excellent gymnasium equipment of the new school as evidence of what had beea1 and what was being done already.

The foundation of the scheme^ fof physical education in Great Britain must, be this school, and the test of its success would be how far children, after leaving school, wanted to continue recreative physical exercise. The British tradition was one of voluntary; action, and it would be no use their imitating the example of countries with the ideology of State control. , Government support for voluntary) organisations is to be part of the national health campaign. The Board of] Education hopes it may be found possible to ensure that the activities ,o/! the Central Council of Recreative and Physical Training, which exists to coordinate* the efforts of all voluntary; bodies interested in physical recreation, may not. be hampered for laci; of funds.

Local education authorities are being urged to appoint men and women organisers of physical training in theia areas. At present less than half 08 the 316 authorities employ such organt iscrs.

Another step in the physical fitness campaign is the free provision of phy-i sical training clothes and footwear foil elementary school children for gynw nasium use. •