762 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION H- 



school is not to give powerful arms and shoulders, not to make 

 athletes and acrobats, but, by free and well directed move- 

 ments for all the muscles of the body, to promote healthy 

 and vigorous growth, and to supply rest and diversion from 

 intellectual toil. 



This would be most effectually attained by introducing 

 physical exercises into the oi'dinary school hours. 



After an hour's mental effort the continual strain to fix the 

 attention causes an amount of weariness to a young brain 

 which a good teacher tries to relieve by change of work, say 

 from geography or history to mathematics. A far greater 

 amount of rest and fresh brain power would be derived by a 

 change to physical exercises, bringing a fresh supply of 

 oxygen to the lungs and consequently pure blood to the 

 brain. 



The body would be also materially benefited by the variety 

 of posture and attitude after long sitting in constrained 

 positions. 



It is important that the exercises should be conducted by a 

 thoroughly trained and efficient teacher, who must be 

 competent to regulate them to suit the age and capacity of 

 the pupils, with due regard to any inherent or acquired 

 weakness in any individual. 



The objection of teachers generally to any break in the 

 ordinary school hours is that the attention is not readily 

 regained, and that too much time is thus lost. This will be 

 found not to apply where, during the time allotted to exercise, 

 order and discipline are maintained, and habits of ready 

 obedience, and attention to the commands of the teacher are 

 enforced. It is very difficult for a teacher to know whether 

 a pupil is giving full attention to a subject during mental 

 woi"k, but in physical work the slightest inattention can be 

 instantly detected. Consequently drill and other well directed 

 physical exercises are a mental and moral as well as a 

 physical training, for they not only educate the body to perform 

 certain movements and maintain certain positions, but also 

 the mind to ])ay continual attention to what is said, and the 

 spirit and will to render prompt obedience. 



Probably no country has done more towards simplifying 

 this form of culture than Sweden, and the Swedish system 

 of " free exercises," requiring no fixed apparatus and bringing 

 into play all the muscles of the body in a very brief space of 

 time, while powerfully counteracting the injurious effect of 

 long sitting in constrained and unnatui'al postures, is perhaps 



