[Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, East Riding of Yorkshire County Council.

  • East Riding of Yorkshire (England). County Council
Date:
1961
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, East Riding of Yorkshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PHYSICAL EDUCATION A comprehensive programme of physical education was carried out in all schools. We are still fortunate in having a large proportion of fully qualified specialist teachers of physical education in our secondary schools; there is a national shortage of specialists which will become worse in the near future. In the primary schools much good work is to be found and credit is due to those teachers who willingly give of their time after school hours in a wide field of activities including cricket, netball, athletics, football, hockey, rounders, folk dancing, camping and youth hostelling. Country schools were linked together for weekly joint sessions of organised games where this was convenient. It was again possible to increase the number of children who received swimming instruction, and many schools made special elforts to give instruction out of school hours when it was not possible to include swimming in the school time-table. A landmark was reached in 1961 when a swimming pool at a junior school was opened, the first in the East Riding. Thanks for this are due to the staff and parents who made this possible with the help of a grant from the Authority. Each child in this school will have a wonderful opportunity of learning to swim at an early age and, apart from the life-saving element, will derive great benefits in health and enjoyment from this pastime which can be carried on throughout life. The facilities of gymnasia and playing fields at secondary schools are well used by the youth clubs and evening institutes. When boys and girls leave school they are encouraged to continue with gym- nastics or games which they learned at school, or to participate in games which are new to them. Organised competitions which stimulated interest in this field, were held in athletics, netball, badminton, table tennis, football, and tennis. A week-end course was held at Bridlington for senior members of youth clubs to introduce them to physical activities which could be pursued indoors during the winter. The number of boys and girls in secondary schools and youth clubs who are working for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award increased. A great deal of healthy physical activity is called for in the scheme of work and camping is necessary for the expedition. This year the camping course for teachers and youth leaders was held at Farndale in the North Riding. The girls’ scheme has not been operating as long as the boys’, but eight girls have now gained their silver awards. Ten more boys were presented with their silver awards and eleven who had passed the final series of tests went to St. James’ Palace to receive their gold awards from the Duke of Edinburgh in December. It is hoped that these boys will now offer their services to their clubs to help train other boys who are working for these Awards. PROVISION OF MEALS AND MILK The number of pupils taking school meals this year once again increased. On a normal school day, 17,297 pupils had school dinners compared with 16,666 at the same time in the previous year. The
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