“OPEN AIR” SCHOOLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 11 May 1925, Page 4

“OPEN AIR” SCHOOLS.

' ADDBffiSfflßß'-BT-PROF i - SHELLEY AND DR. PHILLIPS.

i-j In furtherance of the Waimate •lipuseholdeis’ proposal to., esta.blish .an open-air school, addresses on the subject .yvero .given in the Temperance Hall on Finday night by 'Professor Shelley, of , Canterbury. College, and Dr. Phillips, , officertf or • the. Canterbury Education District. Mr R. B. Hurst (chairman of the School Committee) . presided over a small attendance. Dr. Phillips said that in Canterbury ' there were 33,000 children shut up in primary schools. No farmer would shut up his stock in such a way because he anew the value of open air . and sunshine. MOpdfiU air - 'and open windows wei*e mentioned in the Bible, SO that the benefits of fresh air and (sunshine were not new. _ Not many ‘ years ,ago the first sanitorium was -built in England. Tho double windows “had since been replaced; by, French “windows. In the treatment of pul‘mdnary tuberculosis they had brought ’before them the benefits of fresh air. ?Dt. Rollier, of Switzerland, treated * his subjects with fresh; any- and exposed ;tberti piecemeal to the-sunlight. Fresh |! air and sunshine had proved invaluable ' in the treatment of tuberculosis. About 20 years ago it was discovered that some children were so delicate that : they could not stand school life. Geri many “ started an* open; air school, and

returned the children to natural. The London County Council followed their example in 19U7, and America in 1908. Dl’. Phillips then read a letter from Sir Anthony Bowlby, in which the writer stated that exposure to fresh air and sunshine diminished tho tendency jto,jcatch ,cold ; and' catarrh. .If the open-jair schools were so good fbr sick children, continued tlio doctor, ; tfiey must be good for normal children ’as well. Have the open-air"sclibbTs been successful? The speaker read several opinions on the subject, the writers agreeing that open-air schools were beneficial to the health of tho children. Sir Tniby King, in his report to the' Director-General of Health in 1922, stated that when providing school-buildings more attention should be given to better lighting and ventilation. , Dr. Phillips said that after three years of medical inspection of schools one found that one could. get up tb a certain • point on paper. Open-air schools were no longer an,, experiment, they had been proved invaluable. With the aid of a blackboard, the _ speaker depicted the style of open air classrdOtn which had . been recommended.. . The room was built on the bungalow . style, with sliding - doors facing the north-west, and swivel , windows on each of the other three sides. The room would also be provided with light tables and chairs. The open side gave a feeling of freedom, and each class had its own little bungalow, which would bo more adaptable to the new idea of education. The construction was not expensive, costing about half tho price of tlie usual school building. It was

vitally necessary that the school should piovid© health as well as education. (.Applause). Professor Shelley said that as long as they merely talked thoso in office cou.d Sit down in comfort. As Professor of Education ho owed allegiance to the , .children. Open-am schools were no new things. With liis own hands he had assisted to construct j an open, classroom 14 years Manchester. The children who used -ea- vith T ,T) W r° thero tho whole no' 1 efosed "doSf ng T% ar t\ *** described tho typical design Derbyshire. They had been thinlU ™ terms of _ shut rooms fbr a ccntiirv *. I)l ’ nr 'g tho 19fch century they had got what was known as the factory mmd Open fields and the open skv & urt %r, j lrom . th ° KpE m-ncis. they havo not cot out nf t.iG minds of the people-yet that educacetin l Wa f ? tlimg tllat went on at a ochool desk surrounded by four walls How could tncy develop a power over nature bv shutting nature out? There were only two institutions that he i & of where tho -windows were above the level of the inmates. One was a prison, the other a school; The j main characteristic of a child, of school j.>oais was that lio fvas growing phvsically. Another characteristic was that they could not keep the child still Hioy were robbing the child of e<W tion instead of increasing his chances ?, lfc -, ho whole nervous system of the child needed refurbishing if he was give attention for any length of time. Give the child a chance' of express'ng itself by physical activity, and they would get concentration for a length of time. Tho mental aspect was most important. Tho most Berious ailments of tho modern child were mental. Tho child in school was a repressed child. Both silence and stillness were unnatural in children of school age. Unnatural conditions were bound to cause mental ailments. In the open-air school they had gone one step towards solving the educational problem. Prevent children from expressing themselves in the normal way, and at the age of 14 let them go, and see wl;at happens. If they vero to get a Government department to move at all, the people must move themselves. It was tho duty ol parents to demand the best possible education for their children. The educational problem in New Zealand w,as very simple, and very much in contrast to tho conditions in London and Manchester. They had a council in Christchurch which was establishing an open-air schools league, and tho speaker would like all present to become members. It was foolish to build something for tho children that could not be pulled down in ten years time if new conditions demanded it. Of all the children during adolescent years, a third died of consumption. They wero unable to resist the disease because their body was not kept up to the proper standard. (Applauso.) Mr S. I. Fitch stated that they were agitating for a secondary school in 'Waimate, and ho would like to know if they should ask lor an open-air school.

Professor Shelley replied that what was good for a child of 10 was good for 15. In a secondary school there were, of course, certain lessons which must be taken in closed rooms. On tho motion of the chairman, the following resolution was unanimously carried: —“That this meeting of Waimate residents heartily approves of open-air schools, and considers that they should be adopted as the standard school for New Zealand.” It was also decided to forward copies of tho resolution to tho Minister of Health and Education. , Tho meeting was concluded with hearty votes of thanks to the speakers, and the Wesleyan Church for the use of tho hall.