SCHOOLS AND SWIMMING.

Evening Star, Issue 20048, 13 December 1928, Page 6

SCHOOLS AND SWIMMING.

Tin-; Head Masters’Association of Dunedin evidently was not seized of important facts when it passed a resolution expressing its opinion that the reason why so few' certificates for swimming had been gained this year by children in Dunedin .schools was that the educational officer of the Swimming Centro “ had not done his job.” That the system of swimming instruction which the Education Board pays for is not having all the effect it could havo is quite certain. A year ago it was reported, that there had been a large increase in Otago in the children, who had learned to swim—this province, indeed, along with Auckland, occupied first place for New Zealand' in the number of certificates which it earned. But the city children, it would seem, havo made much less use of their opportunities than the country- children, For the latest season only 112 certificates wore gained by .pupils of the- State primary schools in Dunedin, being less than 10 per cent, of the total number for Otago and Southland. The educational officer, in drawing attention to this position, inclined to impute the fault to the teachers of city schools, and rhe head masters have now thrown it back upon the educational officer. But the blame cannot rest upon his shoulders. That would be most unfair to an enthusiast who show's unusual zeal in sending circulars to hundreds of schools and promoting trials for their pupils without payment. The Swimming Centre, at its meeting last night, could not do otherwise than repudiate the reflection on its officer. There is much less need that, a culprit should bo found than that steps should be tak’en for the improvement of the system. _ The board pays expenses for children in Standard IV. who attend the bath? in classes to

learn to swim. But less than half its city children in that standard were reported on for last season as having acquired tho art. Tho proportion of girls was mudh wore than half, but it is plain that far too many children aro leaving the schools without having learned to swim. Apart from the health value of tho exercise that is a serious loss, because every year brings its crop of drowning accidents, tho larger proportion of which would bo avoided by more genera,! efficiency in swimming. Morn learning to swim is not enough. Of nothing olso so much as swimming is it true that a little knowledge, only tempting tho practitioner to take risks, is a dangerous thing. The best way in which the assistance of teachers can be improved lies in giving more encouragement to their pupils to continue their practice of the art after they have censed to attend, tho baths as classes, and encouraging them to -gain the distance certificates which aro the test of and stimulus to proficiency. It would be better still if the class instruction of school children could bo extended beyond Standard IV. till tho child leaves school, but that may be forbidden by tho extent of other demands upon the baths.