The Folly of Mechanical Drill.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 44, 12 January 1912, Page 15

The Folly of Mechanical Drill.

By BEN DAVID

Routing out some old magazines, 1 found in the "Review of Reviews" for October, I;>!J7, a notice of an article in the '"Pcdagogist" for July of the same year under the heading of "Flow Play Develops tho Hrain." 1 should imagine it had applied principally to children. The writer, Mr. John. Arrowsmitli, says the best way of developing tho brain is by play. "Man is whole only when he plays," ho quotes as a wise saying of a.n ancient philosopher, which modern science has fully justified. Thero is constant interaction between the brain and the muscles. The use of the hand, for example, develops the speech centre. "Tho use of the muscles in the young develops brain centres as nothing else vet has been proved to do. Every muscle group which is allowed to become, atrophied through disuse causes the atrophy of the part of the brain which controls it. When tho brain of aai adult who has suffered amputation of a limb in childhood is examined the part of the brain governing the muscle group of that particular limb is found to be undeveloped." So far the argument may be. used by the supporters of military drill as a' means of physical training. Let us, however, continue: "The best forms of exercise,'' comments the '"Review of Reviews," "are those which tho child has inherited from its remote ancestors. It is because the child brings into play the actions of the cave man that these seem, to us, to be entirely purposeless. His play is a system of ideographic hieroglyphics, lie rehearses in play actions which were vital to the existence of his species ages ago, when the ice sheet was slowly receding from the land. Throwing with precision in ball game, hitting with a club in cricket, dodging, running, holding and kicking in football are all echoes of tho primitive lighting instinct when only those survived who were most exwonders how the kiddies of the cave man, plajcd, if they played at all. Life mv!' have been a tragic matter from th" -tart in those days, and our military friends apparently Want to make it i-o The argument is still eqvai. however, but a new note may bo introduced. Mr. Arrowsmith holds th.il no girl's education should be consider c! complete until the muscles and nerve centres which come into play in proper dancing have been allowed their fuil development. "The dance is tho mos; universal form of play, and it is one of tho oldest and purest fotma (£ ,'jiiiscle culture, i a * There ia

surely enough in the- struggle for existence, t.o tone man down without depriving the boys of their necessary relaxation." So tho comments go on: "The zest, the enthusiasm, the complete abandon of children when playing games which they like, give to play its value. Ordered drill is of far less value. It is too mechanical. . .

When a child shouts and yells, and bops and jumps boisterously and barbarically, he is enlarging his bloodvessels, flushing his system and clearing his lungs of residual air. When the pleasurable, excitement of play acts on the heart, the muscles are strengthened, but when children are compelled to go through exercises which they detest," the brain becomes depressed, the heart weakened, and no good is obtained. Battledore, skipping, running, romping, swimming, ball games. hockey, tennis, golf—all deep-breathing exercises are better than any system of mechanical drill ever devised. Body movements, leg movements, arm movements—the big muscles first and in their natural order of development are those which are used in play. Regulation gymnastics can never bring forth from the child such complete and intense ioy as ordinary play brings forth."'

There are some natures that take to military mechanical drill, but in view of the foregoing, it seems the greatest possible wickedness to make it compulsory, especially on the hypocritical grounds that it will do the boys good. It may if they like it. hutnot if thoy arc forced into it. Let us, to begin with at any rate, get t-Ii« compulsory element removed.