[Report 1955] / School Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Man.

  • Isle of Man. Council.
Date:
1955
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1955] / School Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Man. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/28 (page 15)
    The allocation of sufficient time for Physical Education is naturally the responsibility of the Head Teacher, and generally speaking the amount of time given is satisfactory. The proper use of the daily lesson is the duty of the Class Teacher, and there is no doubt that when these activities are taken regularly the children benefit both mentally and physically. The question of wearing suitable clothing and the provision of gym shoes remains a major problem. However, more children are now strip- ping and greater efforts are being made to ensure that gym shoes are worn for all physical activities, but there is still more to be done in this direction. The most suitable clothing for boys is shorts and for girls knickers/shorts and vest/blouse. The Secondary Schools are adequately supplied with equipment which is renewed and added to regularly. The Primary Schools are gradually being equipped with further portable apparatus. Small apparatus (balls, hoops, ropes etc.) is renewed as required and schools are encouraged to take due care of equipment and make the best possible use of it. Some schools have exercised ingen- uity and their own initiative to extend the use of the limited equipment they possess. The successful carrying out of the programme is dependant on the support and interest of many departments of the Education Authority. The Works Department is mainly responsible for improving the facilities available, such as adapting classrooms, providing storage accommodation for equipment, improving playground surfaces and maintaining playing fields. Progress has been made in this direction, but there are further improve- ments necessary. Some playground surfaces require attention, and the adaptation of classrooms in small schools such as Andreas, Dhoon and Dhoor has still to be tackled. The playing fields for the Secondary Schools and the larger Primary Schools, and the small playing areas in the country schools, are undoubt- edly improving year by year. This is mainly due to the keen interest and initiative of our groundsmen, who have been greatly helped during the past year by the provision of a park and road tractor/lorry with gang mowers. This equipment has made it possible for the groundsmen to do their work more efficiently, particularly in the smaller schools hitherto insufficiently catered for, thereby making it possible to give more training in games and sports activities. During the year Sports Days, Athletics Meetings, Swimming Galas, Folk Dance Festivals and Friendly matches have been held successfully. Thanks are due to the Head Teachers and Assistant Teachers, to the Works Department,- Groundsmen, Caretakers, School Meals Department and Office Staff for their unfailing interest and co-operation.” MILK AND SCHOOL MEALS. “ The School Meal continues to play its part in the health and well- being of those children who travel a distance to school. It is very difficult in view of rising costs to give an adequate supply of protein in the form