Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-12-19
PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
Ono Respect In Which Our Schools Are Do
hind Those Of Europe.

hind Those of Europe.
One OF the great ideas which have come
prominently to the front in the last few
years is that public school education
should not be merely question of how
much information can be slowed away in
the brain Of child. That public school
training, to DO the best possible, should
not only develop the mental, but the
moral and physical qualities of the pupil,
is now generally accepted as an axiom
needing no demonstration. But asnyet
the matter of physical development las
been largely matter Of theory, and even
whom put into practice, the results htsye
been only partial and incomplete. The
work of training and developing the
muscles has been left In great measure
to the play ground, to the recess, or to
the out OF school hours. In recent years,
in response to a general public senti-
ment in the matter, some hygienic meth
DDS have been introduced into the schol-
astie regulations. Attention has been
given to the proper ventilation of school
buildings, the study of physiology has
been Incorporated into the curriculum,
better sanitary methods have been
adopted, and ten minutes of each school
day have been appropriated for 'physi-
cal exercises" The ideal of education,
"a healthy mind in healthy body" is
not to be attained by giving five hours
to books and five minutes to calls
thenic drill. 1t is not to be pretended
that the public school should furnish all
the physical exercise needed by the
pupil, butt should, at least, insure suffi-
cient training to partially develop the hui
man organism of the pupils as well as to
encourage mental growth; to build up
muscle and sinew and red corpuscles as
we'll as to stimulate the gray matter of
the brain. 1t is unnecessary to note the
fact that the schools of the United States
are far behind those of England, Ger
many, France, Belgium and Sweden in
this respect. The latter of these nations
has perhaps the best system known. The
Ling system of physical culture in
schools, as it exists with but few altera-
tions to-day, and has existed for more
than half century, presents an easy
solution Of the question of physical edu.
cation for pupils. Its great and princi-
pal aim is health, and as means to this
end the development of the human or
ganism in detail and as a unit. 1t seeks
to create not muscular power alone, but
a healthy condition of the organic sys'
tens; to promote all the natural func'
tional powers, respiration and digestion,
as we'll as circulation and muscular ac-
ton. The idea of the Ling system is
not SO much to produce an athlete who
can stagger under ponderous dumb
bell or perrfom acrobatic feats in mid all
but rather to presenta graceful, healthy
symmetrically developed body, with all
organisms and functions in normal con
dition. In connection with any system
of hygiene in the public schools, it Ii
absolutely necessary to insure good ven
tilation and sewerage to attain any
creditable result. The recent epidemic
of typhoid in Albany, where four hun
dred workmen have been stricken dowr
within few weeks, shows the danger
which must always threaten where {
large number are gathered in building
whose sanitary conditions are imperfect
1t is imperative that every means for Sc
curing and maintaining the health O
the scholars must be taken, and it is in
cumbent upon the school board to make
every endeavor to secure this end.-Bos
ton Advertiser.