THE ART OF SWIMMING.

Shannon News, 31 December 1926, Page 1

THE ART OF SWIMMING.

NOTES or USEFULNESS. FOR THE BENEFIT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. ' * (By Les. M. Murphy). Before concluding these notes I would like to know what the school committees are doing in the way, of encouraging swimming among the pupils of the local State School find Native College ? If reports to hand are correct then the pupil passes through’the school or college without the least knowledge of the art of swimming and life-saving. The defence will naturally be that the school curriculum does not provide for the teaching of swimming, but even so that should not deprive the children of an art that will benefit in later years. It is a great, pity for the day might come when these young people will have the real, value of Jseing able to swim brought homp to them. New for the point I am driving at. Value of School Baths. Has the idea of establishing baths at the school and College for the benefit of the pupils, ever been brought under the notice of the parents (Assn?). If not then it should have been long ago. With the help of a band of working bees the cost of erecting the baths would not run into a very big sum. There is a large number of baths in the Dominion that have been built and run in conjunction with the. state schools and colleges and have proved to be good revenue producers as well as providing the facility near at hand for the children attending the schools to be taught to swim. Take Christchurch for instance. Nearly every school has a bath that has been built either by working bees or funds raised by the school committee per means of subscriptions, baazars- concerts, carnivals, etc., such money raised being subsidised by the Government. ‘ The bath is opened to the public before and after school hours at regular charges which pay for maintainance . and up-keep. Carnivals are frequently held by swimming clubs, which provide inter-club competition and trophies for the- children, thus stimulating their interest. These baths are usually 25 yards by 10 yards x and running from 3 feet to 8 or 9 feet in depth. They can be cheaply built. Take for example the bath recently built near a Wanganui school for the convenience of the children. This bath when completed cost less than £3OO and to-day it is proving a great asset both financially and otherwise, Hundreds of Wanganui children have gained their swimming certificates since the bath opened whereas prior to erecting the bath few children of the river city were noticed to be gaining certificates. , Now that Otaki has a high pressure water supply there is. no reason why a bath at both the Native College and State School should not be erected.U'his is a matter for the school committee to take up in real earnest and with the co-operation of the Borough Council ways and means of solving the problem of raising the required money the school and college the committee would never regret its action, for besides being of impiense value to the pupils they would be revenue producers by being opened to the citizens during certain hours at a nominal fee. The New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association has been hammering at the Government for years to make swimming a compulsory subject taught in schools, but the regulations as they now apply state it shall be taught only where facilities exist, so it is up to the- Otaki body ,to get busy and see that such facilities are provided for the sake of the children. The Wellington Swimming Centre and Royal Life Saving Society would be only too willing to extend a helping hand in such a project in Otaki. It rests with the Parents Association to make a move in the matter and raise funds per bazaars, carnivals etc. The Wellington Swimming Centre will provide the necessary plans and even provide assistance in building the baths voluntarily. Think of the children, and move smartly in the matter.