ic rte einai ed Kansas Health and Physical Education Association May, 1939 Volume VIII Bulletin No. 8 THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM A paper read by, Mr. BE. R. Sheldon, Supervisor of High Schools, Kansas State Dept. of Education, at the State Convention of the K,H.& P.E.A. held in McPhers.. Some one has said that teaching is re- cognized as the most highly cooperative enterprise in the world. Granted that civilization in America is face to face with a youth problem and that the job of the teacher is one of cooperation, then it is evident that the schools must assume a part of that responsibility of helping young people to find their places in an adult world. We must keep in mind that whatever is done for youth in our Nation must be done by the local community. What is meant by Health Education? For practical purposes it is best to think of the secondary school health program as the benefits coming to the child through the health services he receives and the benes#it fits obtained from classroom instructor, Good health is not inalienable, It must be earned and maintained. Nor is this easier to do in the twentieth than in the nineteenth century. It is, in fact, ine creasingly more difficult, The sober truth is that civilization tends to destroy health, and only the combined efforts of an alert public health service and educa- tion can preserve the vitality of individ- uals or the Nation. Although I have had but two decades of school experience, during which time I have been especially interested in health educa- tion, I am quite thoroughly convinced that the development of good health habits and the building of sound bodies are about the most useful services that a school system can render. I am sure that there is pro- perly very little or no distinction between physical and health education. They have one common purpose: The fostering of good health and the building of health habits that will be practiced throughout life. Out of every child's life should como the mastery of one or more games or physical activities that he can — and enjoy throughout life, I am convinced that sheratect education is equally desirable for both boys and girls and that the games and athletics should be so varied and extended that all pupils may participate regulariy in some activity, It is certainly true that con- tests for prizes or trophics should be discouraged as rapidly as we can create in the pupils the desire to do their best at all times for no reward beyond the satisfaction of the attainment of a worthy goal. I am positive that our cities need to establish an adequate number of play- grounds and recreation centers so that all boys and girls of the community may have tho opportunity of healthful out- door recreation under competent super= vision, It pays in moral as well as in health returns, I am sure that emotional control is a major responsibility of a program of health education; therefore student- leadership should be encouraged. Education itself is dependent on phys- ical vitality. A reasonably strong body is the best guarantee of mental health. Good physical condition is necessary. too, to long-continued mental effort. A strong body makes for mental endurance, Then, too, learning itself depends on good health, since the child must be alert, rested, willing, and responsive, A siek, tired, or mal-nourished pupil is inevitably a slower learner because of his handicaps. The future may reveal that; for: very many: pupils, a given amount of time and effort spent in im- proving health yields more learning than the same time and effort spent in direct and immediate study. We are told that the use of physical education in controlled situations has become an important therapy in the recov- ery of mental patients, Opportunities are afforded through recreational activi- ties to gain deeper insight into dif- ficulties of the personality. Since you are guides to moving and doing, you in the profession of physical education havc speciai opportunities and obligations in molding personality. No one can guide physical education activities without at the same time guiding personality adjust. ment. Now sometimes teachers who sevm wt: get good results in athletics get abvomir- able results in personality outccms. Usually these unwise teachers do not knov any better. They have been looking for one kind of result and have been proud to do so well on one scale of achievement, Everyone should welcome the rise of a broad-visioned profession in physical ed- ucation, which appraises in terms of all kinds of consequences; Physical, aesthe- tic, intellectual, emoticnal and sociel-- perhaps even political and economic, too, While we are consicering wholesome per- sonal satisfaction ana social usefulness we must not forget that our colleges and uigh schools have a responsibility in edu» cating the general public athletically, and an even greater responsibility in edu- cating their own students, If it is true that individuals like to attend activities with which they are fam- iliar, or of which they have an understand- ing, or if it is a fact that one apprecia' ates those things which one understands, then it certainly becomes the responsibil- ity of colleges and high schools to make a better understanding of athletics posé sible. Physical education is therefore important in educating the spectator, It would seem that a better understanding of athletics means a finer appreciation of them. As in the case of all social institu- tions and human activities, the conception of the purpose and scope of organized re- crcation has undergone great changes in the past few years. Never before has there ocen such a tremendous national conscious- ness concerning the need for and the dev- clopment of the skills necessary to the profitable enjoyment of leisure time. This sonsciousness has been stimulated by the ‘apid multiplication of agencies directly soncerned with promoting or conducting lcisure time activities. In addition to such familiar agencies as the public recre- ation departments, public schools, comnun- ity centers, parks and playgrounds, the National Government has some 35 separate offices, bureaus or agencies actively en- gaged in some form of recreational work, In addition some states are rather compre- hensively organized. Numerous counties throughout the States are doing likewise, Added to these are many semi-public insti- tutions such as Y.M.C.A.'s, Y.W.C.A.'s, Boys and Girl Scout organizations, service clubs, churches and the like. Moreover, private golf clubs, athletic clubs, hunting clubs, summer and vacation camps and other similar organizations are providing recrea- tional facilities and equipment for member- ships. The modern leisure-time program - simply continues on and dovetails in with for help the activities or the school, and each serves to supplement the ot ther. Since modern leisure-time programs ars how predcminantly educational in nature, it seems that the school is the best institution to organize and coordinate these agencies for the “social betterment in o democracy." Is not this an — tant enterprise for the Health and ‘Phys ical Education Supervisors to abartake? Youth is assuming the responsibility ping to plan and one & program of hoalth? ul living. is is evidenced by the fact that ina es many States the physical cducatcrs are getting behind safoty programs. Accident prevention and health go hana in hand, From these homely and common observa~ tions it is only a step to realization that more health yields more of the good of life, whether physical, social or intellectual,1, In closing let me summarise by saying that physical education is important in our Education System because: 1. Of the opportunities for growth under living conditions which consistently pro- vide for normal physical and mental dev- elopment. 2. Guidance toward wholescms personal satisfactions and social useful- ness. 5, Better understanding of athletics through education of spectators, 4, Self- expression through organized recreations and companionship. 5. Participation in the affairs of a democratic State. There are others, many others. These have not necessarily been selected be- cause they were the most important. Does our State Department eensider Health and Physical Education important? It does. Our State Board of Education about two years ago passed a regulation that begin- ning September 1, 1937, teachers of Phys- ical Education in Class "A" high schools shall present a minimum preparation of fifteen semester hours of college credit in physical education, ten semester hours of which must be in the field of health, physiology, first aid, or school hyriens, You physical educators are in tho most strategic position to suspect and dekest early deviations from the normale~yours is a unique position--power to you and the best wishes from your State Devartment of Education, 000 sete Excerpts on "TRACHABLE MOMENTS -- AN EDUCATIONAL APPROACH TO HEALTH" Talk given by Jay B. Nash, Professor of Education, New York University, at State Convention of K.H. & P.E.A., McPherson Just talking about qualitative outcomes of education does not guarantee them. This has become axiomatic with all good teachers where the desired outcome is something more than a mere memorizing process. Tne quali-~ tative outcomes of educetion; chare.ccor , with its accompanying clements oi tolerance, politeness and social qualities: citizen- ship; and health are largely caught, not taught -- at least not in any conventional way: Much of our classroom hygiene is particularly ‘useless not only because it has little or no effect upon desirable health behavior but because it is likely to set up negative attitudes. Teaching hygiene in schools is likely to be an opiate given to administrators to case their consciences while the school violates most of the known conditions of wholesome living. Making the child self-conscious about health is one of America's most unhealthy procedurese ' There need be nothing mysterious about normal health patterns. The real skill is needed to restore normality after it has been lost. For most children, health con- stitutes just a simple, happy way of living. The various phases of children's health patterns are all things that involve doing something, and much of the doing is an adult responsibility. Talking to children about things over which they have no control is a bad educa- tional procedure as it sets up strain and fear. The clements of the health pattern are somewhat as follows; (A). Freedom From Infectious Drains. This means, specifically, freedom from in- fected teeth, adenoids, and tonsils, It likewise means that the child should be free from any of the ill effects which might follow influenze, common colds, or any of the so-called childhood disorders, The detecting of these disorders and the remedy of the same are tasks of the medi- cal profession. Therefore, the question arises “how can this medical service, in- cluding diagnosis and treatrent, be pro- vided for every child in the pvolic school system," We do not talk to chiiaren about those things. It is an adult problem and action to remedy is the suswox~. (B). Freedom From Stroins. The child must not be subjected to uncue strains such as throw off the normal functioning of the body. This means that the child must be protected from undue rush and noise, irritating lights, foar and wor- ry. The child must be freed from fears which cause tenseness, that lower organ- ic resistance, thus opening up th opportunities of malnutrition with all of its attendant hazards. This is an educational task, in which the modival profession is, of course, interested -- but it is primarily educational. We do not talk to children about these "nodern race destroyers." Removing these is an adult function and action to remedy is the answer. (C), Health Habits Should Be Encourag ed. Here great controversy as to what ~ are facts and how they should be taught confront everyone. Facts alone are known to have little influence upon be- havior unless there can be an emotional drive or want to use these facts. So- called facts should probably be thrown into the three following groups: (1). Things we are fairly sure of. The need of rest, sleep, nutrition and exer~ cise with joy and happiness can probably be placed in the first group. Adults organize these, but much talk ig of lit- -&le value. (2). Practices which fall into the realm of aesthetics and are not health fundamentals. Certain questions of manners and morals: washing neck and ears, standing in line, being pleasant, fall into this class. These may be de- sirable but have practically no connec- tion with health values. How can we detect these and how can they be encour- aged without leading them on to the health program, (3), Things that are not true. In this group we have many things which are not true or contain only a grain of truth, ~ as "A clean tooth never decays" and “Exercise before breal: fast if you want to. snd to after dinner.’ How can these vart-true statements be run down and eliminated? (Dj). Exercise. Unon the basis of these threa ccnditions, power for healtl. is built through exercise. It is the age~old law of life. “Practice makes perfect," "You learn that which you pra: tice,” “Power is built through use." Therefore, the whole program of physical dits ahew education is basic to health -= basic after 4, When parents want something better the above three conditions have been ful- filled. Inasmuch as health cannot be taught in any conventional way, it is necessary to organize around what might be caliicd | _Teachabis Moments. At least the four fol- lowing