SCHOOL EXERCISES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1097, 8 April 1911, Page 8

SCHOOL EXERCISES.

WITH OR WITHOUT APPARATUS. DEBATED BY TEACHERS. - A meeting of..the Wellington branch of tho New Zealand Education Institute was held last everting, Mr. \V. G. Flux presiding. : After the transaction of formal business the chairman introduced tho main subject of the evening—tho proposals of lUajir M'Donaklfor a system of free gymnastics- in public schools. The proposed scheme has been published in i'iik Dominion. The president said tile Education Board had kindly submitted the report to the institute for discussion. It was a. very important matter, and a subject about which there'were divided opinions among tho teachers. However, tho board were their masters. Ho was not prepared to say that tiio use of apparatus was better than the system of free exercises. He could not sec how light clubs and dumbbells—half a pound in each hand—could bo injurious in stiffening tho muscles. But if it could bo shown the methods at present in operation were bad and out of date the teachers would be quite reasonable. In any caso it was very good of the board to allow them this chance of discussion, and ha thought a resolution might be passed J;o .that .effect. He read a letter, from. Mr. D. -M. Yates, master of the District High School, Hutt. . The writer said he had a strong feeling_ against doing away with exercises that required apparatus. . If the clubs were light there would be no stiffening of the muscles. He found their use tended to' give' tho girls an erect carriage. He suggested if the proposal were carried that there - should' be a proviso that the schools using apparatus be . ablo to retain- it.'- There seemed to bo some desire to blame the teachers for haying brought certain apparatus into tho schools— rifles, for instance—in physical drill. Not the teachers, but the authorities were in this case responsible. Rifles had been introduced during Major M'Donald's time, and he had been responsible for their continued use. However, if Major M'Donald was responsible for the introduction of some other system, and it was -approved, they would not stand in the way of having it brought into practice. Mr. E. 8~. Ballachey questioned whether the meeting Was largo enough to give its opinion on such an important matter. It seemed to him that light apparatus could not do any harm if properly used. He thought . the children like the clubs. He would prefer not to say that the suggestion that they did harm was absurd, but ho could not seo where harm would result, and the children seemed to like tho apparatus. The chairman: I am sure they do. He also said that very little, -if any, time was lost over the use of apparatus. He like 'the idea of having instruction ■ for teachers if a good instr'viior wore obtained. He was not sure that the abandonment of the use of tho,small, light rifles .in physical drill would be good. Ho nioved, and it:was carried"That the institute desired to thank the Education Board for its'courtesy in referring the scheme,-to them:" •- ' -• - Mr. Ballachey also moved • that this -institute' is of opinion that it ,is .not desirable to abandon .the: use of such simplo appriratUs. as is at present used in our schools; but is wholly in accord with the proposal to form classes for the instruction of teachers in physical drill provided that tho board has submitted to it satisfactory evidence that the proposed instructors are qualified to teach the subject-efficient!}'-. |; | |;.||.|| .! .At tliis l.stagoJ\lis.s.Brightj.movedithe-adjouramcnt-of/the subject torn futuremeeting, when a. larger representation -dould be-obtained. • - Mr. Watson argued that the matter should be decided at once. The adjournment of tho subject was carried.