THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1871.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1169, 16 November 1871, Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1871.

♦ A proposition to establish a gym r nasium in Christchurch is again before tbe public. A gentleman, possessing tbe highest testimonials as to ability; has offered his services as teacher, and we must say upon very moderate and reasonable terms. It is to be hoped that his proposition will not only be accepted, but that it will be carried into effect, and that a school for gymnastic exercises will be founded on on a permanent basis. One or two attempts have been' previously made to establish such an institution, and a gymnastic school sprang into existence with apparently vigorous life, but after the lapse of a (short time it began to languish, and finally died out. Why was this — why should an institution as necessary for the physical training of a youth as the higher and ordinary schools are for the development of his intellect, be allowed gradually to decay and ultimately to drop out of existence ? The reply is two-fold. Firstly, because it was of too exclusive a character to command the support of the general public ; and secondly, because the great value of physical training has not been sufficiently taken into account in the estimate of the means to be adopted for educating our youth. By the term " exclusive " we do not meau that tbe advantages of the gymnasium were confined to any particular class of society, but that it was principally devoted to the instruction of young men after the labours of the day had been closed. The number of these was not sufficient to meet the expenses and to remunerate the teacher for his time and attention, and the consequence was that the gymnasium, which at first promised to be so successful, was soon numbered amongst the things of the past. ; Instruction in gymnastic exercises ought to form part of the curriculum of every educational establishment, whether it be a collegiate institution, a district school, or an academy for private tuition. Mens sana in corpore sano is a maxim that should ever be borne in mind by those to whom the important task of educating and fitting for the duties of life our future men and women is entrusted. The powers of the body, like those of the mind, lie dormant unless called into active exercise, and our physical strength, like our intellectual power-, becomes more energetic and vigorous the more it is used, within reasonable | bounds. The lithe, active figure, wit-well-knit joints and muscles hard a^ iron, is quite consistent with, and fref quently is the casket . containing injtellect of the highest order j indeed, in.

many cases the intellect is much more powerful, and capable of a much broader grasp, from its association with a frame in a high state of health, and capable, from previous training, ot enduring continuous exertion. We believe that we have aaid enough to show the great value of gymnastic exercises for our schools,'and we should be glad if arrangements could be made bo that the services of the geutleman who will be in charge of the public gymnasium might he made available for the schools. If a portion of his time were set apart for instructing the boys in Christchurch at their several schools during certain days in tbe week, bis" evenings might be devoted to the gymnasium, aud the remuneration arising from these various sources would be such as to assure him an income sufficient to live in comfort and respectability. If this were done, we believe that the present attempt to found a gymnastic school would prove successful, but we fear for it otherwise.