SWIMMING FOR GIRLS.
The following appeared in the Times, July 3rd, 1878:—
Hundreds of girls in London are learning to swim, but many hundreds more would gladly learn if teachers could be had. A healthful, cleanly, life-saving exercise like this ought not to be stinted of teachers.
The boys have twenty public baths to learn in and the open water in Victoria Park, besides the dangerous, dirty canals. More than 1500 boys are learning to swim as paying members of the London Schools Swimming Club, which is open to all public elementary schools.
Last year a class for thirty girls was begun late in the season, yet twenty-five of these were taught to swim in six lessons, and six of them won prizes.
Only five of the public baths are available for girls and female school teachers. At some of these the charge is threepence for a bathe, and at one it is a penny for members of the club. Twelve girls can be well taught in a class. For a lesson of two hours, one teacher charges fifteen shillings and another receives ten shillings, while others are paid two shillings for each girl who is taught to swim twenty-five yards, and the rest are rewarded by watches and other prizes for those who teach the most girls to swim.
Mothers and sisters who can swim will not let their boys be unwashed on the land and drowned in the water.
J. M.
The “London Schools Swimming Club” was formed in 1875, and it has already (a.d. 1880) given instruction in swimming to 12,000 boys and girls, and male and female teachers.