Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-08

a movement is now in progress in Eng
land the objects of which are to reduce the
time given in public schools to book in
struction, and devote the hours thus saved
to a system of physical training. The
originator Of this movement is Mr.. Edward
Chadwick, gentleman who for years has
devoted his energy to sanitary affairs, and
who, as an official agent of the British Gov
ernment, has rendered essential service to
the health and comforts of the people. At
The request of the British Educational Com
missioners, Mr.. Chadwick has for some
months been occupied in collecting test-
mony as to the advantages derivable from
physical training in schools, from the intro
duction of his proposed plan.
With regard to the welfare Of the pupil
in civil life Mr.. Chadwick shows that the
lime devoted to sedentary occupation in
schools is generally prolonged beyond the
capacity of the pupils for profitable atten-
zion, and that, with a view to their mental
as well as bodily improvement, the period
should be reduced. 1t has been found that
in the schools where the "half-time system"
has been adopted the pupils have made as
much progress in book-learning as those who
have devoted the full time exclusively to the
latter.
In q sanitary point of view he considers
that systematized drill is good, and for
defective constitutions requisite for the cor
rection of congenital bodily defects and
taints, with which the youth of very large
proportion of the population, especially
among the poorer town populations, are rf-
fected and that for these purposes the
climbing Of masts, and other operations of
the naval drill, and swimming, are valua-
bic additions to the gymnastic exercises of
the military drill, and when properly taught
are greatly liked by boys. From moral
point of view ALSO Mr.. Chadwick considers
that this drill will give the pupil an early
Initiation into all the requirements of dis
cipline-namely, duty, order, obedience to
command, self-restraint punctuality and
pltience.
NATIONAL ADVANTAGES.
So far as regards the interests of the ma
lion, Mr.. Chadwick considers that the gem
eral introduction of the gymnastic drill is
called for, and will be of the same use as it
was of old in the parochial training to the
use of the bow. He states that on the
practical evidence Of officers engaged in the
drill it proved:
THAT the military and naval drill is
more effectively and permanently taught in
the infantile and Juvenile stages than in the
adoleseent or adult classes.
"That at school it may be taught most
economically, as not interfering with pro-
duetive labor, and that thirty or forty boys
may be taught the naval and military drill
at one penny farthing two and half fcents)
per week per head, as cheaply as one man,
and the whole juvenile population may be
drilled completely in the juvenile stage, as
al =. 4
taught iDperfectly on recruiting or in the
adult stage and that, for teaching the drill,
The services of retired drill sergeants, and
naval as we'll as military officers and pen
Eioners, may be had economically in every
part of the country
"That the middle and higher class
schools should have, in addition to the foot
drill, the cavalry drill, which the parents of
that class of pupils may afford.
20 % That the drill, when made generally
prevalent, without superseding,) will
eventually accomplish, in wider and bet
Ter manner, the objects of volunteer corps
and of yeomanry, which, as interrupting
productive occupations now becoming more
absorbing, is highly expensive, rendering
all volunteer forces dependent in fitful zeal
and eventually comparatively inefficient;
that the Juvenile drill if made general, will
accomplish better the objects even of the
militia that the juvenile drill will abate
dfidence in military efficiency, and will
spread a wide predisposition to a better or
der of recruitment for the public service,
will tend to the improvement of the ranks of
The regular forces, whether naval or military,
and will produce an immensely stronger
and cheaper defensive force than by the
means at present in use or in public view.
Sand, finally, that the means of produc-
ing this defensive force, instead Of being an
expense, will be gain to the productive
powers and value of the labors Of the cOun-
try"
PHYSICAL TRAINING CONDUCIVE TO HEALTH
Professor Owen has stated that even in
the best warmed and ventilated schools five
or six hours enforced stiffness of growing
children is a violation of the primary laws
of physiology while Miss Nightingale and
others agree that under the present system,
children are placed under conditions which
impair good bodily health and generate epi-
demic diseases. Mr.. Rshnson, school
commissioner at Amsterdam, states that the
physical evils attendant upon the present
amount of sedentary confinement in schools
required from young children is beginning
10 attract attention in Holland, and that
they have under trial system of exercises
for schools advocated by Doctor Schrieber,
of Leipsic. "The chief question" says the
latter gentleman, ais, how are our chill
dren to be brought up? Is it according to
the laws Of nature The answer is, No; or
we shall not see so many children who
were rosy and healthy before going to
school, become pale and bloodless after
school has begun and he prescribes the
limitation of the hours Of school oon6ne-
ment.
Mr.. David Stow states that the sickness
in the School of the Training College at
Glasgow, /" last winter, was less than halt
of what it was in those of the locality in
which children have not similar play
grounds and airy school-rooms, with physi-
cal exercises at short intervals" Mr.
Walker Macleod, head master of the Royal
Military Asylum, in Chelsea, England, con-
siders that exercise is necessary for the
proper development of the bones and mus.
cles, as well as for the health and strength -
and there is an abundance Of other testi-
m0ny to the same effect.
Mr.. Chadwick contends that q sound
physical training is proved TO be neces-
airy basis for a sound mental training
b" GA few minutes cessation from studies
spent in the playground" says Mr. Mac
Leod, "are Of incalculable benefit TO th'
children, both physically and mentally. Th'
very punishment inflicted on children fre