Physical education in elementary schools : a paper / read by A. Broman at the quarterly meeting of the Swedish Gymnastic Association, June 20th, 1891.

  • Broman, Allan.
Date:
[1891]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physical education in elementary schools : a paper / read by A. Broman at the quarterly meeting of the Swedish Gymnastic Association, June 20th, 1891. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    0 Pi?/C£ TWOPENCE. (PHYSICAL t EDUCATION 1(4 IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. ■ASX A PAPER KeXj READ BY J. i *: /#- A f - : f • I §& •'(. v -/* '. . Vi A sBROMAN, Esq., President. At the QUARTERLY MEETING of the *ttteipMs!) ©gmttasttt JUsanafiott, June 20tli, 1391® HISTORICAL RESUME. Before dealing with the present day phase of Physical Education in our schools, it may be not only interesting, but instructive to glance back and briefly consider what place—in bygone times-—has been allotted to physical training in the educational systems of different nations. THE GREEKS THE PIONEERS OF HUMAN CULTURE In doing so our attention is immediately drawn to those mighty pioneers in the field of human culture and civilisation the ancient Greeks. No people in olden or later ages devoted more time and thought, or bestowed more attention upon the education of their youth ; neither do I know of any that attained better results. AIMED AT HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF BODY AND MIND. With them the harmonious development of body and mind, the advance¬ ment of physical health and vigour, in conjunction with mental freshness, was the aim. The Athenians acknowledged this particularly. Platon says that a man who has not equally developed his body and mind is a lame and stunted being, and he recommends Games and Gymnastic Exercises as the best means of attaining this development. Aristotle is of the same opinion. He contends that the development of the body must precede that of the mind. The child’s education must therefore, at first, consist principally of physical exercises. During the time of growth easy exercises nust be practised, and all restraint in the mode of living and working should be avoided, that the growth may not be stunted or perverted.