OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS

Northern Advocate, 23 May 1929, Page 6

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR. INTIIR E'STIXG ADDRESS. A plea for open-air schools was put forward yesterday afternoon by Miss A. .T, Greville, hon. secretary rr, the Auckland branch of the OpenAir Schools' League, in an interesting address at the ex-Y.M.C.A. buildings. Miss M. Wigley presided, and in introducing the speaker emphasised the value of fresh air, which, could not be over-estimated Many fresh-air people were considered to be faddists, but no sane person could fail to be in sympathy with those who endeavoured to get all the fresh ait they could for the children. Miss Greville said her work was purely voluntary, and she- was doing it with, a genuine desire to see better conditions. She would try to impress upon them that, there was need for improvement in the present system, realising that the world marched forward on the feet of the children. By studying them they would go forward unencumbered.

Her personal experience had been that, while a teacher during the war, she was instructing S n children in a room built for 60, and it was so- for several, years after. The atmosphere in those rooms was terrible, and in her school it was known as the “Black Hole of Calcutta.’' .’She could cite instance after instance on similar linos. .Conditions had improved, but it was a scandal that there still -existed rooms where classes of 70 or more were herded together and taught by one teacher. The atmosphere under such conditions could be terrible. • Our babies, under the Plunkct Society, lived in fresh air, and yet that excellent work was being undone. Many ‘children were healthy and 1 so had no troubles of any kind until they went to school, and the reason was not hard to find. Our own homes were bungalows, airy and clean, and most normal children wore not indoors at all when they were at home, and even when sick they wanted to get into the air. They, were brought up under almost entirely open-air -conditions. Then the children went to school and were cooped up in classroom, often badly seated, with no- space to allow the reasonable activity which they needed. If they sat at home as still as they did at school, one could imagine that there was something wrong with them. It was impossible to carry out modern ideals with obsolete implements. The present type of building -had windows that could only be opened on the stillest day, and the glass only generated heat, blocking out the ultraviolet, life-giving rays. . Many openair people were looked upon as faddists, but the idea was not new. Even Hippocrates, 400 years before Christ, had an open-air school, and he know that it was beneficial

In the construction of open-air classrooms, such as those at the Fendjlton •School in Canterbury, the great beauty

was that there were four walls to work on. A careful study of the meteorological conditions should' be made, and on the sheltered side the door should bo placed. In the Pendalton school the door was never closed. Even if the wind did Mow, it was a gentle flow of air, and not a draught. A maximum amount of air* and sunshine was admitted. In the same school there wore single desks, and chairs with adjustable backs, which could easily be transported out of doors without any trouble. The extra space enabled the children to get into the air between lessons and be reinvigoratod and tuned up. Under present conditions considerable time was lost in walking through corridors. The building of open-air schools was very much more economical than the old type, and a classroom to accommodate (50 could be built for approximately £4.17, though experts considered that it could be done for £395. It .was not proposed to pull down existing buildings, but something could be done with them in remodelling. What was desired was to arouse public interest, so that all now schools would bo built

on open-air lines. In many countries the' system was operating successfully. In India, the famous .Sir Rabindrath Tagore had tried to renew the old Indian system of open-air schools, and he had been absolutely successful. Thousands of people had flocked to see his schools, which now had over 200 pupils. It was recognised as a success oy the leaders in education in India. In other countries also there were open-air schools In Europe, America and in England the gospel of open-air schools was being preached. Many of the new schools wore being built on those lines.

The public and educational authorities were beginning to -realise, that fresh air was necessary, not only to the sick child, but to the healthy also. In New Zealand the climate was almost ideal. Sir Truby King, the world-famous New Zealand doctor, also advocated the system, which was a natural and logical sequence to the Plunket (Society's work. It was con-

sidored that the climate of Auckland was ever? more suitable than that of any other part for such schools, and it was interesting to note that sickness was of . a higher percentage in Auckland than anywhere else in New Zealand. Several questions were raised as to llie suitability of light. The walls wore painted either white or amber, and produced a gently diffused light, winch did not try the eyes. Another bogey was the question of distraction, but that was non-existent. When openair teaching was a regular thing the children soon settled down, and if

t'hc-ii* attention wandered after that it was the teacher’s fault. Corridors were absent, thus doing away with noisy footsteps, and the classrooms being detached the disturbing chanting' of . arithmetical tables and other things was absent. It would bo a poor state of affairs if a school depended upon walls for unity, and the detached rooms did not make any difference to the spirit of unity at ail.

Miss Greville related the history of the movement in Auckland, where ' Dr Gunson was president. There was one open-air school in Auckland and another was to be built at Avondale. She expressed the hope that a branch of the league would be formed in Wltangarei.

At the 'conclusion of the address Miss Wigiey, in moving a hearty vote of thanks to the. speaker, remarked upon the nobility of Miss Greville’s work in connection with the movement, giving up part of her holidays to further the scheme. The motion' was carried by acclamation. -