The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-22
UNIQUE ENGLISH SCHOOL
establishment Where Girls Ar
Taught Nothing but Play

establishment Where Girls Are
Taught Nothing but PLAY.
Answers
situated in the midst of a thick spreading
Woo1, ABOUT two miles from the pretty lit
tie hentish village of hartford Heath. is
one of the most remarkable educational es-
tapllShmentS IN the world. 1t is essentially
ladies college, no male creaturep heinz
allowed within its sacred precincts, exceDf
al certain stated and rare intervals. But
this IS not all. The point is that it differs
other girls schools, in that its pupils are
taught, not the best way to work, but the
best way to.play
The idea is to train up women who shall
pc physically perfect, and to this end every
thing else is subordnated. For instance.
there are anatomical classes, that the stu
dents may know which muscles are brought
INTO play IN walking, driving, swimming,
ETC.. classes in hygiene, that they NAV learn
what Kinds OF foot to eat and what to
avoid. But the be-all and the end-all of the
whole curriculum is the attainment for
women of that sound mind in a sound
Dody Whlch IS justly esteemed SO essential
The founder and principal of this UNIQUE
college IS Nine. Bergman Osterberg, a
Swedlsh lady VINO IS rightly regarded as
the foremost living authority upon physical
culture for women. 1t was Nine. Osterbere-
who was fntrusted by the London School
Board with the delicate task of training the
board school teachers in gymnastics. over
a thousand of them passed through her
hands, of whom rather more than half hold
her certificate of proficiency.
The foundation of the physical culture
taught at the college to the thirty or forty
sweet girl graduates there assembled Is
Ling's Swedish system of gymnastics nv
constant practice in q series of beautiful
and rythmical movements the whole bodv
is made lissome and strong. Then, as soon
as the pupil Is MT, all kinds of games are
INDUCED in Cricket, hockey. tennis GRO
quet jumping and vaulting, racing, cycling
and almost every other form of sport is
pursued, with an eagerness and an anxious
desire to excel such would put to shame
the boys of many of our public schools.
Swimming is also part of the regular college
course, a natural swimming bath being
formed out of a private part of the River
Darenth, just where it runs through and is
damned up in an old, secluded ana roman
tic garden.
The college is intended mainly for the
training of lady teachers of gymnastics bur
there are many pupils, the daughters of
wealthy people who are undergoing the
course for their healths sake. A girl goes
to the training college pale, anaemic and
HStlesS, and in the course of a few months
is transformed into a rosy healthy woman
fit to ''go anywhere and do anything
Between eighteen and thirty is the usual
age of admission, but the closer candidates
approach the former age the better Before
a pupils name is placed on the books she
has to submit to a medical examination in
order to make sure there Is no organic dis
ease present; and she must also certify her
willingness to abide by the college rules and
regulations. The course lasts two years and
the total fees for the whole period aggre-
gate about 200 guineaS.
The life, though healthy, is far from an
easy one Professors and pupils alike go
bareheaded, no matter how inclement the
weather may be, and early to bed and
early 10 rise is a precept that IS rigidly
enforced Then the diet though liberal is
plain, and must not be privately modified
without permission. The wearing of the
uniform Is also obligatory 1t consists of a
sort of loose-htting blouse of dark blue
cloth, with plated kilt of similar material
falling TO the knees, black wooden stockings
and low tan shoes. Corsets or any substi-
tute therefor are strictly forbidden. In this
costume, unless it Is actually raining the
girls spend practically the entire day in the
open air.