State School Education & Changing Syllabuses Flashcards
What were these schools like?
Small, no space or recreational facilities
Free for poor
Made school attendance compulsory between the ages 5-13
School days
Mixed sex
Local
Due to the 1870 Forster Education Act what happened?
Schools built if churches thought it necessary
What did the Forster education act lead to?
The establishment of school boards in each area - these were responsible for providing schooling for all children in their area
What games did they play during playtime?
Blind mans buff Snakes and ladders Hide-and-seek Hopscotch Boys played football with a pigs bladder
PE in the early phase consisted of …
Swedish gymnastics
Why did pe change?
Boer war - guerrilla tactics had stumped the British generals - scapegoat, blamed the working class soldiers for lack of fitness
Main reason thought: Swedish gymnastics
What was the model course?
Military drill exercises set up by the government in 1902 as a response to the poor fitness of working-classes soldiers during the Boer War
What were the aims of the model course?
To teach discipline to the working class children
To improve basic health & fitness
To familiarise with weapons
Encourage teamwork
To prepare WC children for war a - help children withstand hardship
What were the characteristics of model course?
Direct command army sounds Army officers in authority Working class children (5-13) Undifferentiated treatment Regimented in structure and routine Included marching & drill staves, acting as rifles Content=set exercises by numbers
Positives of model course:
Asserted authority and discipline Cheap (large numbers taught in small space) Help children withstand hardship Designed to increase fitness to fight Become familiar with military weapons
Negatives of model course:
Not very beneficial to overall health and fitness
No account for children’s needs
Very unchildlike (adult exercises)
No differentiation on the basis of age or gender
Little educational development or benefit (no cross-curriculum)
Military emphasis too strong
Royal commission summarises it as unsatisfactory
What did the 1904 syllabus of training do?
Replaced the model course in an attempt to bring educational values into physical training
Most school boards reinstated Swedish ‘therapeutic’ gymnastics
What is meant by therapeutic ?
Relating to exercises and practices to maintain health
Development of gymnastics 1904:
Based on Swedish system: scientific principles
More pupils at a time
Improved fitness and posture
Allowed for variety of venues
No apparatus needed
Used command approach=discipline
Developed alertness, decision- making, skill
What was the 1906 education act concerned with?
The welfare of the working class children
Open spaces act improved what?
Urban leisure provision with the development of more public parks
What did the 1909 syllabus of training do?
Swedish system - more games and recreation activities
Physical training compulsory, examined as part of teaching courses
Therapy based
Slightly less centralised
Social value of games recognised
Still free-standing exercises
Included Danish swinging exercises
How did the 1909 syllabus change from 1904 syllabus?
More games and recreative activities
Physical training compulsory & examined
More therapy based
Less centralised
Social consequences of WW1:
Anti-militaristic feelings
Status/role of women increased
Changing view of children - protection, healthy childlike upbringing
Demand for a more equal society (age groups, class system PE questioned, gender)
Flu epidemic -
Emphasised needs for health & hygiene
Concerns over lack of soldier’s fitness - gvnment value benefits of pe
What was change needed?
Flu & WWI = many lives lost
Extended value of health and hygiene
What did the 1919 syllabus of training do?
Differentiation
Differentiation for younger children involved:
Half of each lesson for free movement
Games & dancing
Responsibility with class teacher
Freedom, discovery & initiative encouraged
Differentiation for older children:
Still based on therapeutic exercises Direct command of whole class Reflection of society - working classes knew their place
What did the 1933 syllabus of training do?
Leaving age = 14 Still largely therapeutic Benefits of gymnastics & games recognised (apparatus & equipment) Focus on skill development Play - use of imagination encouraged Group work at different levels Early decentralisation of what to teach
What benefits did the 1933 syllabus of training recognise?
Benefits for posture;
Character building
Initiative development
Why was the 1933 syllabus introduced?
1930s = industries depression (unemployment) Fitness Therapeutic Physique Holistic - developed mind & body Skills & posture Outdoor lessons for health
