PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 22627, 20 April 1937, Page 12

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE TO-DAY [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 19. A conference on physical education has been called for to-morrow. It will be attended by the Acting Prime Minister (Mr Fraser), the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry), representatives of the Health and Education Departments, the medical profession, the primary and post-primary services (including training colleges),. physical instructors, and the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games’ Association. Mr Fraser stated that the conference would be asked to consider among other matters the place and importance of physical education in the curricula of schools and colleges, the best means of arousing in a post-primary community the desire for physical efficiency through “ keep-fit classes, physical welfare carnivals, etc., the best means of training specialist teachers and instructors, the best means of dealing with the more pronounced cases of physically defective children in schools, suitable text-books for systems of physical education, the best type of school building, seating accommodation, and playground lay-out and the need for physical welfare camps. A narrow interpretation would not be placed on physical education which included an essential knowledge of the human body and its functions, dietetics, including food values and the effects of various food ingredients and stimulants, and health habits generally. The Minister said he regarded the conference as a very important one. He thought from its personnel that it would be able to make very valuable recommendations in regard to future physical education in the Dominion.