Evening star., 1896-12-15
SCHOOL PHYSICAL TRAINING.
some Suggestions Supposed tu b
HelPfu1 i'm Teaching This Branch.

some suggestions Supposed tU BE
Helpful In Teaching This Branch.
Miss LIE Garde of the Providence schools
thus discusses the duties of the director,
in the Gymnasium:
Does not any physical teacher merit only
censure when he looks upon his work as
SO many exercises to be gone through
with, so much salary to be drawn monthly !?
Are physical directors impressfng upon
school boards that they are worth their
Keep! Are they insisting that from this
board shall be formed a subcommittee of
hygiene and physical training? Few cities
have such, and yet a body of this char
acter would be of wonderful value to the
whole subject of school gymnastics. One
would like to inquire how many recommen-
dations for the physical betterment of
pupils and teachers are made yearly by
directors of school calisthenics.
How maty cases of spinal curvature de-
tected and parents interviewed as a result
Of the discovery? Are superintendents of
school cor struction seen and the proper
lighting and seating of new buildings sug-
gested? In a large city in the east two
thickly populated wards. one filed with an
Ignorant class Of italians. were found to
be full Of malaria. Fifty per cent OF the
school population were affected. sensi-
BILE woman who headed the department OF
districts. houses, factories. ponds full of
stagnant water and. refuse, and DAYS were
spent watching the city dump" The
data gathered was submitted tosthe school
criticism on the lack of judgment shown
by city officials in locating school houses
in malarious districts. Recommendations
were made and speedy action taken toward
a better state OF things. and one would
venture to say that woman can hold her
position.
In the construction Of school buildings
political tobbery too often regulates the
system Of heating and sanitary matters.
Here. too. the physical director can have a
watchful care. and with an intelligent hy-
gienic committee, can make suggestions
that would result In q better state of
things than at present exists in our school
edifices. Measures like this would soon
meet favorable comment from right-minded
individuals. who are prone to accept condi-
tions because they might be even worse
than they are.
The city of Boston is Just now passing
through period of discovery that its
school edifices are practically-many of
them-unf1t for habitation: that it's school
floors In the past have been washed but
once year for several years! This dis
covery is due to the truth that its physical
director and its committee on physical
training are working from a right basis
Inc physical director Of city in the mid
die Atlantic states found cause for anxiety
in the want of stamina In the girls of the
high school. By some womaniy manage
ment In a most conservative place. the
usual custom Of indigestible school lunches
was done away with. As In Boston and
Providence. warm. healthy food was placed
on sale at q minimum of cost Result. as
q matter OF course. the Improvement physi-
cally OF all OF the pupils. where before had
been depiorable state OF health.
Cannot physical instructors broaden their
spheres? IL 1t not their province to do
sometning more than arrange progressive
educational exercises and teach themf The
narrow pedagogue OF the school Rymnasia
goes on hunting up new things In clubs.
and makes new combinations in work for
the muscles. and forgets, perhaps, that he
Is teaching In a room ventilated by \ had
system Though patented) and has fffy
before him who never had i'm
pressed upon them the truth that Die and
dcughnuts plus strong tea were not lust
the proper diet for breakfast to say moth.
Ing OF dinner and supper.
The province OF the school director Of
physical training 70 little broader than
some people see It. It's Hne Of WORK has
more OF homely. common sense thoueht |
tnaA many are giving to II. Hence ms laNk
OF appreciation IN the eyes of many . COM
Eunity. The deterioration Of American |
school children win continue just As rapiS1y /
~ Il IL now going on. unta the physicHl
instructors Of the hand put more thought.
more practical sense. into their line of |
teaching. -,