The Hawera Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1927. SWIMMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 October 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1927. SWIMMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga. Alton. Ilurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai. Meremere. Fraser Road and Ararata.

The value of the work done by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association in the encouragement of swimming among the school children of the Dominion may be gauged by the issue of over 10,000 proficiency certificates during the last year. This splendid record has been achieved by the enthusiasm of the officers of the Association as well as by the sympathetic co-operation of a large section of the teachers. The necessity for every child learning to swim demands no special emphasis in this land with its long coast-lino and treacherous rivers, which have claimed a heavy toll of human life, and the everpresent danger should provide sufficient incentive to encourage it as widely as possible. But swimming is at the same time of the greatest benefit in physical development, and is so strongly recommended by medical men that its claims in any scheme of bodily training cannot be disregarded by parents or teachers. The policy of the association in concentrating on the schools is a sound one, for there they reach the children while under control, and, assured of the assistance of those responsible for their welfare, the only limits to complete success are the facilities at hand for teaching the subject. Investigations extending over 80 per cent, of the schools of the Dominion have shown that there are 20G baths at the disposal of the children, but advantage is also taken of nearness to sea and river, and many schools carry out a full programme of swimming instruction in this way where favourable climatic and geographical conditions exist. The difficulty of providing facilities for teaching swimming is insuperable in some of the country districts, but in others the enthusiasm of the teacher and the energy of the children have resulted in the construction of a serviceable swimming pool in creeks with a very meagre flow. Creditable as it is that the subject is regularly taught in close on COO schools in New Zealand, there are at least twice that number in which no instruction is given, and the efforts of the Swimming Association in appointing in each district representatives from among the teachers to give advice and encouragement is likely to lead to even greater success. Recommendations have been made time and again to the Education Department by the association to have swimming made a compulsory subject in the schools, and while there arc difficulties ip the way where facilities are lacking, there is no reason why that course could not be adopted where they exist. But the most unsatisfactory fact, is that the students in the training colleges are not compelled to include swimming and lifesaving in their course, though they are called upon to have some knowledge of nvusic and sewing. In the four centres there are at least 1200 trainees, half of whom go out every year into the schools of the Dominion, yet, apart from those who take the subject voluntarily or have acquired proficiency proviously, no attention is given to what should be one essential branch of their training. The work being done by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association deserves the highest praise, and if in addition it endeavoured to see that young teachers left the training colleges equipped to teach swimming and life-saving, still greater results could be expected.