EFFECT OF SPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1925, Page 1

EFFECT OF SPORT

VIEWS OF VISITING EDUCATIONALIST. AUCKLAND. May 15. When discussing the effect of sport on education, Mr 11. S. Dettmann probobly had the Christchurch controversy in mind, although he avoided any such reference. He is head master ot Svdnev Grammar School, and is on n holiday visit to Auckland. Mr Dettmann, who has over 000 typical Australian boys in his charge, for sixteen years was Professor of Classics at Auckland University College, and he expresses the decided opinion that sport is a valuable asset in school .life.

“I am perfectly certain that the outcry against sport in schools and collcgi.s has no reasonable basis,” said Mr Dettmann. “To my mind, sport is an invaluable asset in moulding character and in making boys keen ami unselfish.”

At the Sydney Grammar School, he explained sport was insisted it poll as a matter of school training. Of course, a hoy who, from physical disability, was until tor sport, was not compelled to take part in it. Mr Dettmann has found, iu his long association with boys, that work iu the field lias been a great help to work in the classroom.

“You can be fairly certain that a 1»,,v "ill do liis utmost not to let- his school down in the playing field,” he said. “If you tell boys that, in the same way, they should not let their school down in the classroom, ii generally strikes home, and they become keen on their lessons.

•While sport is a good thing, hero worship should he prevented as much as possible.” continued Mr Dettmann. “I admit il is natural for boys to look willt admiration upon a good sport. I will give you an instance where a form of hero worship had to he quelled. The annual boat races on tlm Parramatta River are contested by crews representing the great public schools of Sydney, and attract much, attention. Last year the newspapers gave th.- crews much publicity, both before and after the races. Photographs of the crews ami of individual members were published, and, after the races, some of the hoys were interviewed. The head masters of the schools concerned—there were eight- of them—realised that- this was not in the best interests of the hoys, and asked the new-.papers to curtail their publicity. I am pleased to say that all of them observed our request this year.” Referring to schoolboys playing on public grounds, Mr Dettmann said he favoured the school ground for school sports. In Sydney the Grammar School had its own ground, away from the school certainly, and here foot hall and other games were played before the public. It was a splendid thing for both hoys and public. Tho boys did not wear numbers, or any oilier distinguishing mark, and the personal element was obliterated as far as possible. The hoys were imbued with the spirit to uphold their school’s honour and tradition.

••The best test of whether sport does harm in schools is io see what- tellows are like twenty or thirty years later. Our school is 100 years old, and we are in a position to judge. My experience has been that good sports at- school make the best success of life, ami turn out to he the first- citizens.

•Of course, a good runner or a good footballer who will mil slmh is no good to us - ill fact, he lias a hard row to hoc in any school. Sport moulds character, but we must not forget that cliaracim* is also moulded in tho classroom. If von give a boy a (1 illiclili piece of Latin translation to unravel, it i- tho best thing for him. I ufortunately, the majority of hoys do not realise ibis.

The notion ol the great: public | is i hat it should be Governed h\ - the hows themselves. Prelects ate chosen, and the tone ol the school is 5,.( b\ them. The master cannot pul .lowii smoking or swearing, hut prefects can. "You cannot choose a pood prelect because be is a pond spurt, but I have found that the host sports, make the host prefects." Military authorities in Sydney recognise.l the value of sport. In the seeonilnry schools hoys were required to do sixty hours’ drill each year, and tin' authorities went out ol their way to see that, drill time did not clash with spur!-time. Australian schoolboys were verv similar In New Zealand boys. II anything, the Australians were more fond of sport. “Sport may be a peril. he concluded. “but I would sooner control as. hool of sports than a school of hookworms.”