[Report 1946] / School Medical Officer of Health, Huddersfield County Borough.

  • Huddersfield (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / School Medical Officer of Health, Huddersfield County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/38 (page 31)
    4 ' 31. V REPORT ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st. DECEMBER, 1946 BY THE ORGANISERS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION. GENERAL„ One of the principal reforms set out in the Education Act is the extension of the existing facilities for securing the health and well- being of children and young persons* In Section 49, the Minister was empowered to make regulations imposing upon local Education Authorities the duty of providing milk, meals and other refreshment for pupils in attendance at schools maintained by them, whilst Section 53 makes it the duty of overy local Education Authority to socure that the educational facilitios pravided for their area include adequate facilities for recreation and social and physical training. The provision of these two sections of tho Act should have, and indeod there is already some ovidonce to show that they are having a beneficial effect on tho physique and gonoral health of tho youth of the nation. Tho Local Authority has long recognised the importance of physical education as an important means to this end by having two Organisers of Physical Education, a man and a woman. Mr. L. Morant was appointed to fill a vacancy and commenced his duties on June 1st. The duties of the Organisers, as defined in the Ministry of Education Circular 84, are to Aid the planning of comprehensive schemes of training for the school and post-school population; to help by advice and by means of training courses, all engaged in the work of instruction; to stimulate and co-ordinate developments in all branches of the work; and to guide these developments in tho directions which offer the greatest promise of service, both to individuals and tho community”. This briof report indicates the scope of the work covered in this area. Tho change from war to peace has been marked by a steady improvement in the supply of equipment of all kinds. Against this must bo set tho general shortage of teachers, which has naturally affected the subject in the schools. In the Youth Service, fortunately, more instructors are available. Owing to a lack of adequate facilities, such as gymnasia, playing fields, swimming baths, and school camps, it is not yet possible to offer young people either a liberal physical education, or oven sufficient opportunities for physical recreation. The developments envisaged in the now plans for reconstruction should remove most of the obstacles in tho path of progress in this subject. PHYSICAL TRAINING. Physical Training taken on modern linos has spread to practically every school and is popular with both teachers and children. The essence of modern methods lies in the freedom given to the children to practise the performance of activities in an informal manner, with the teacher directing the effort in such a way as to encourage each child to develop according to his or her own capabilities. The lessons are also wider in scope than hitherto, and include many activities derived from athletics and the national games, as distinct from the more formal, subjective physical exercises. Much attention is given to defects in posture, and to improving the condition of the feet by suitable corrective exorcises. In this connection it should be noted that as many of the children now change for their lessons into plimsolls and shorts, the teachers are able to detect faults in posture more readily, and remedial treatment may be given earlier, with increased chances of success. ORGANISED GAMES. Playing Fields rented by the Committee are visited by 1,238 senior scholars from schools. The Committee has recently acquired the use of an additional playing field for its schools. The upkeep of playing fields is still a major problem, but matters have improved at one field by the appointment of a full-time groundsman.