PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1935, Page 5

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

REFRESHER COURSE PROPOSED. TARANAKI TEACHERS TO BENEFIT. Efforts are to be made to arrange physical education refresher courses for Taranaki school teachers during 1935. This decision was made by the Taranaki Education Board yesterday at the suggestion of the medical officer, Dr. M. Champtaloup. An effort is to be made to secure the services of Mr. K. C. Reid, lecturer in physical education, at the Auckland Training College, as instructor. From close observation over a number of years she was convinced that the new scheme of physical education had great possibilities for good, advised Dr. Champtaloup. It was not, however, the type of work which could readily be mastered merely by a perusal of the official text book. The scheme was handicapped by the fact that a number of teachers had not had opportunity of attending demonstrations or receiving tuition along these lines. She was of the opinion that very much better work could be done in the Taranaki district, and would be done, if teachers were given better opportunity of themselves learning what they had to .teach. The refresher courses arranged last year were valuable in this respect, but they could not be considered as adequately meeting the need. She suggested the board consider the possibility of arranging further refresher courses in physical education for 1935, and if this was done she recommended that attendance of teachers should be compulsory and not optional. She had had opportunity of observing Mr. Reid’s work in detail. It was excellent, and his teaching placed emphasis on the fundamentals, which were essential. If the board could obtain his services such a refresher course should assist considerably tow ..rds the raising of the standard of physical education in Taranaki.