PHYSICAL CULTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1343, 8 February 1881, Page 3

PHYSICAL CULTURE.

In raany schools, board schools paiticularly, military drill has been mtioduced. But this is not sufficient. It might even be shown that the drill of the soldier does not develop equally all pares of tho body, but tends to make it stiff and unwieldly Apait, however, from this objection, it is uot adapted to young childien and girls — thot-e who really require the most attention in this respect. Then thorp is another objection to the military drill, and one which, will pievent it fiom being generally adopted in schools. I rcier co the fact that many object to drill because they think it tends to cullivate a military spirit in children. The objection may appear a weak one m some ; but there it is, and there it will icmain, and probably grow stronger and stronger so long as we see such evils exist as arise from the larj^e aimaments of Continental States. Then on mote than one school board the military diill is objected to on account of its cost, a diill instructor's salary making a considei able addition to boa'id school expenses, everywheic already high enough. What is wanted is a systennof gymnastics at once simple and inexpensive ; and these we have in a system laigely in vogue in the schools of the United States, where the corporeal development of the young is not lost Risfht of in the ardor for intellectual educition. The system refeired to is a modification of that of Dr. Rio Lewis, of Boston. An American gentleman wa,s recently observing .some pale and punylooking school children, and asked if in the English schools there was no system n-f gymnastics practised. The answer that such a thing was an exception rather than a mle surprised him, and he described the simple but efficient method of giving the boys and girls exercise in the primary school in \\ hich he was educated in Philadelphia. The class-rooms were all on one floor, and were simply separated from each other by large sliding glass doors. At a signal, given by the head master twice a day, that is in the middle of the morning and afternoon sohool, the doors were thrown open, boys and gills stepped to the wall, ■where wands were auanged in racks, took one each, and fell into line in the middie of the floor ; then one of tho teachers, went to the piano and played a simple tune, to which the wand exeicises were performed " Five or ten minutes of these exercises morning and afternoon," paid tho gentleman, "had a wonderful effect in wakening us up and putting fresh vigor into oui studies. Peihaps towards tho middle of tho afternoon wo would be getting heavy and sleepy, when a bout with the wands woke us up for the rest of the rt.iy, and instead of being an obsti notion to school work it was actually an aid to it; for dhcotly tho niastei's bell houndrd, the wands weie replaced in the rack", and dooiv» were swung into their places again, and work went on as quietly and oulcily as if nothing to interrupt it had taken place."' This is just what is wanted ju our English schools. — l y i>r/io/offtu(t Magazine.