MY e

Dr «.

Mr,

Dr «

Mrs

Dr.

Mrs

PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR HEALTH

 

THE PLACE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Jacobs

Allen

Jacobs

Allen

Jacobs

Alien

Jacobs

( Mr. John E. Jacobs, Vice Principal of Liberty
Memorial High School and Principal of Lawrence
Junior High School, and Dr. Forrest C. Allen,
Director of Physical Education, University
of Kansas.)

The week beginning Monday, November 7, .and ending
with November 12, has been set aside as a special
time to stress the part that education plays in

the American life. The theme is, "Education for
Tomorrow's America", Tonite we are particularly _
interested in physieal education and related Ficsids,
and I shall ask Dr. Forrest C. Allen, head of the
Physical Education Department at the University of
Kansas, to give his ideas concerning the part that |
physical education plays in the public school
program.

Phog, where should the physical education program
in the public schools begin; that is, how far down
in the grades should the program extend?

Well, John, I would start below the grades... I
would start in the kindergarten. You know, Froebel
had a pretty good program - that of "education
through play". All kindergarten teachers are
pretty serious about that, you know.

You feel, do you, that both physical education and
health examinations should begin that low in the
grades?

Yes, even before the kindergartcn. In the pre-
kindergarten and nursery schools the children
should have health and physical examinations by
the school physician. .~

What are some of the values of the pre-school
examination?

Well, for one thing it stimulates the mother into
doing even a better job because she has the assist~
ance of the school physician as well as her own
physician to guide her.

What type of play and exercise would you suggest
for young children, say in the primary department
of the public school?