Evening star., 1934-10-27
HEALTH PROGRAM
WILL Be TESTEDAT
M'K|NLEY SCHOOL
Scientific Physical Educa.
tion System May Be Adopt
ed in All Units.
EACH CHILD TO RECEIVE
INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
Plan Is Being Worked Out by
Principal Daniel, DR.. Kramer
and Miss Backus.

A new. scientific physical training
and health program will be tried out
at Mckinley High School as a possible
substitute in all Washington high
schools for the somewhat hit or miss
methods which have been In use for
years.
Employing the technique Of the
character education experiment, begun
in 10 schools this Fall, an attempt will
be made to give individualiZed atten-
ton to every pupil, bringing the pro-
gram TO the child rather than COM
pelling the child to conform to the
program.
The first and basic move Is to be a
thorough medical examination of all
entering pupils. Frank c. Daniel. prin-
cipal, said today. Arrangements for
this have not yet been made. but both
Mr.. Daniel and Dr. Stephen E. Kramer,
first assistant superintendent of schools
in charge Of secondary institutions,
hope a sufficient number Of public
spirited physicians will be found will
ing to undertake the work without
compensation. No authority now ex-
lists for use of District Health Depart
ment physicians for this purpose.
Pupils to Be Classified.
I'VE think we will be able to find
enough young doctors, whose time is
not yet in great demand. TO help us"
Mr. Daniel explained.
When examined, pupils will be clas-
sified as to whether they have remedial
defects. Those with defects will be
put in one class, while their more ro-
bust fellows will go into another.
Those with defects then will be
classified according to the nature of
their ailments and each group will re-
ceive training designed to remedy the
special fault.
An entirely separate course of intra-
mural sports and tournaments will be
available for those not in need Of spe-
cial remedial attention.
Both classes will be required to at
tend general lecture course on health
and hygiene.
Parents to Be Informed.
Mr.. Daniel hopes to be able TO give
every student who enters the school
a complete examination. During sue
cessive years less comprehensive ex-
aminations will be made of pupils to
discover whether defects noted have
been corrected either through school
training or by home treatment. I'M
mediately upon the discovery Of any
thing wrong with a student. his or her
parents will be notified and II medical
treatment Is required. recommends
ton will be made to that effect.
When records are checked later, par
ents again will be notified II the de-
fectS persist. g..
Mr.. Daniel, who will direct the new
program, feels the existing system of
physical training Is entirely made
quate.
System Held Wrong.
"Under the old traditional system,
he said, 80 or 80 boys would be put
through setting-up exercises and then
allowed to play basket ball for the
rest of the period.
Some of the boys did not need the
type of exercise at all. Take, for in
stance, the boy who has gotten up
early in the morning and delivered a
hundred newspapers. He has had
much more exercise than could be OBJ
tanned through calisthenics."
Mr.. Daniel said he long has felt the
physical training methods in use were
not producing the results they should
Many boys and girls pass through
school with defects which could have
been redeemed if properly treated" he
declared.
Details Being Worked Out.
Details of the new plan are being
worked out by Mr.. Daniel, DR.. Kramer
and Miss BERTHE Backus, assistant su-
perintendent of schools in charge OF
character education. Mckinley is one
Of the 10 schools being used as char
acter education laboratories.
1t is hoped to get the revised ply
sical training courses functioning
shortly
The task, however, is a large one
There are some 800 pupils in the
first year class at Mckinley. who are
to be given detailed medical examina-
tions. During the second and third
years. the records of these students
must be checked at least once year
For the actual work Of conducting
the courses. but five instructors, three
| men and two women, are available.