Dr. Szabó Lajos: A magyar ifjúság testi nevelésének története (A Sportmúzeum Kincsei 5. Budapest, 2004)

Testnevelés az elemi és polgári iskolákban a századfordulón

ALTHOUGH LAW 38 OF 1868, about public education, issued by József Eötvös introduced physical education as a compulsory subject in the elementary and higher elementary schools, its realization ran into several difficulties. Most of the schools did not have gym-halls and many of the schools in smaller settlements even did not have a special teacher. Although within the courses organized by the National Gymnastic Clubs gymnastic educators were trained in a great number, they found employemnt mainly in the secondary and higher elementary schools. In 1892 a decree was issued by the Ministry of Religion and Education, in which the smallest territory of the gym-halls was determined in 24 m

2 and schools should have a 2000 m

2 territory playground. This decree was executed reluctently in the towns and villages. In most of the elementary schools physical education is taught by veteran teachers of other qualifications, in some places by school-porters and meant no more than military regulation exercises. By the turn of the century teaching materials were modernized and exercises tried to fit the age of the children, In 1905, the letter of the Ministry attached to the syllabus of public schools stressed that this was the first time when physical exercises was taught in appropriate number of lessons and game had a great importance from point of view of practical training. József Ottó, Mihály Bély and János Kmetykó (visiting other countries, e.g. Germany, Denmark, Sweden) played a great role in forming the syllabuses of public schools.