SWIMMING IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19156, 23 October 1925, Page 12

SWIMMING IN SCHOOLS.

COMPULSION ADVOCATED, LOCAL CENTRE'S ATTITUDE. The compulsory teaching of swimming in the primary schools was favoured at the annual meeting of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association last evening. Mr. A. J. Fernandez said it was necessary that children should be taught to swim ancl compulsion should be instituted at the schools. If a boy saved even one life during his career he would have performed a great service to his country and built tradition for his school. The centre should strongly advocate the innovation and endeavour, through the controlling body, to induce the-Government to reconsider the matter. It was a great pity that new schools were being erected without swimming pools. Mr. Fernandez moved that the centre should record its heartiest appreciation of the efforts of Mr. C. Morris and the Newton School Committee, the Primary Schools' Association and the Education Board to obtain the introduction of compulsory swimming in the schools; that the centre express its strong opinion that compulsory swimming should be instituted, and that the council of the New Zealand Swimming Association be requested to further the movement. _ In seconding the motion, Mr. D. MuJvihill said objections came from the Teachers' Association. If a school did not have its own pool and the nearest was far away children should receive free tram rides. , ~ Mr. Fernandez said the New South Wale's Government provided instructors for the teachers, who were thus trained as swimming advisers. Mr. F. J. Boggs said tho schools committees were sympathetic and now that the Education Board had taken up the matter prospects were brighter. It the other centres and the combined it should not be long before their object was achieved. .. The motion was carried.