Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-27
YOUR CHILD
In SCHOOL
BY Dr.. Frank ". Ballou,
Superintendent of Schools. Washington
d C.
Physical Improvement

Inc chlld's health must be preserved
ana MS physical organism must he
assisted toward a satisfactory devotion
ment by education just as much as his
mind is advanced through instruction
at school.
III would be a serious mistake to
view education as a wholly intellectual
process Basically, of course, it is in.
teiiectnaI, but. speaking more broadly.
successIul training of the mind must
De paralleied by normal and progress.
sive development of the body.
Inc infants physical heredity is
sucn that very. firm and fruitful
foundation Is laid for his future de-
Velopment. From the very first mo-
ment or life there is a natural tend
ency to grow and to expand, mentally
and physically. That tendency must
Dc nurtured carefully and regularly
II 1T is to be carried to It's complete
fulfillment
Education, properly speaking, con-
notes much more than mere formal
or learning. Broadly speaking. and &C.
curately, too, education Is as compre-
hensive as life itself From the cradle
TO the grave, man Is ever learning.
ever acquiring greater knowledge of
the world about him, it's physical laws
ana FORCES, the reactions of his fellow
beings and the principles that guide
them properly or otherwise.
For the child, Of course, education ia
more circumscribed than for the adult
However, education for the child is
not limited, as some seem to believe.
to text books lessons of the classroom
It's purposes. on the contrary. are both
mental ana physical. To gain the
fullest benefit from his education the
child must be advancing physically at
the same time that he is progressing
intellectually. Otherwise he is des-
tined to a life of partial incapacity.
The school should instruct the child
IN the laws or personal health and
hygiene, because q knowledge of them
is essential to his well.being. AL
though the boys and girls in their
immature years may not always see
the reasons for instruction of this sort
and may acquire only partial profit of
a direct character from it. vet IL ia a
fact that 1t does assist them to form
health habits that will be of tremen-
dous benefit in later years. Children
should be encouraged to reap the bene.
fits which come from heaIthful exer-
else.
In so far as the school is concerned
kLo Noh@@ Ap0SAoh Will UG the DnVSlcAi
training program which is laid out for
the lower grades and the Junior and
senior high schools. In the lower
grades, apparently, the benefits are
greatest and OF the most vital inpor.
lance, since in earlier years so much
may be done to help or to harm the
child, both physically and mentally.
The grade school pupil should re-
ceive the benefit of a regular program
of physical exercise which is not too
violent but which Is yet sufficiently
strenuous to stimulate the normal
bodily functions. AS the child grows
In stature and strength, naturally the
degree of exercise may be safely in
creased. Play may well be encour-
aged throughout the elementary
school.
In the high school the physical
training program centers largely
around high school athletics for a con-
siderable number Of the boys. In
Washington the high school cadet
corps provides another opportunity
for securing proper physical training
in addition to instruction In military
tactics. In most high schools athletic
lcontasts tend to QNeremphaAze tho