GOOD YEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 100, 29 April 1937, Page 8

GOOD YEAR.

CHILD EDUCATION. AUCKLAND KINDERGARTENS. INCREASED STATE GRANTS. "We are (standing at a very important point in the affairs of the association and of the kindergarten movement in' New Zealand generally," remarked Mr. H. G. Cousins, newly-elected president of the Auckland Kindergarten Association, when he took the chair following the twenty-ninth annual meeting of the association to-day. J Mr. Cousins referred to the inveatigaj tions now being made into the answers i of educational bodies to questions arising | from the Atmore report, with a view of i possible reorganisation of the educational •system of the Dominion. As far as the future of the kindergartens was concerned, he believed that if the Minister accepted the position as it was, and from that gradually developed the movement i in all possible directions, happier results i j would be achieved than if a new plan i were suddenly introduced. ( Mr. J. Stanton, who presided over the 1 annual meeting, in the absence abroad' of the retiring president, Mr. K. B. Myers, remarked that the position of , the association was more satisfactory at' present than it had been for some time. He said the work being done was a form ! j of community service which brought its :own reward, and was of a kind that ghould be encouraged and recognised by the community. Attendance Decreased. The annual report for the year 1936 stated that the average attendance of the children during 1936 was 327, a ; decrease of 49 for the year. This j decrease was accounted for partly by the return of five-year-old children to the public schools, and also by epidemics, particularly whooping cough, which affected the children. A pleasing im- i provement in finances was recorded, the ! year being completed with a (surplus on ; income of £84. The sum of £1019 had been received from Government grants, innd" up as follows:—Third term, 19:15. £181; fir«t and second terms, 1936, £837. The grant for the third term of last year was £424. making a total of £h'( : I for the year, as compared with £78(1 in 193.1. This satisfactory financial position bail been brought about by the Government increasing the subsidy to £4 per child, provided £1 per child collected for 25/ ]>er child paid in capitation. | "We gratefully appreciate finaii- i cial sympathy with the kindergarten . movement." added the report. "The ! increased grant has enabled us to restore ' the salaries of the staff to those apper- ' taining before the financial stringency." ; The ladies' committees and mothers' I club had done particularly good work i in raising funds, their realisation of j over £047 being an increase of about £90 on the previous year's efforts. The Haeata Free Kindergarten in Edendale | had l>een opened under the jurisdiction , of.the council, and was now well established and operating most satisfactorily. Carnegie Corporation's Help. Returned from a visit to the United States and England under a fellowship from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the principal. Miss Constance Colegrove. was welcomed by the I council, and a tribute was paid to the I splendid work of the acting-principal, ' Miss M. Slingsby Newman. Appreciation of the assistance given the asso- ! ciation by the Carnegie Corporation was ' recorded in the report. Mr. Cousins thought the association might go further and intimate to the corporation its hearty appreciation of what it | was doing for New Zealand education generally. It was splendid work, done in a quiet way and offering consider- j able benefits. The meeting decided to adopt such a course. Officers were elected as President, Mr. H. G. Cousins; vice-pre- ' sidents, Miss M. Slingsby Newman and Mr. .T. A. C. Alluin; council, Messrs. F. N". Ambler, A. St. Clair Brown, H. N„. Leefe, A. G. Menzies, K. B. Myers, J. Stanion- and C. J. Tunks, and women' members to be nominated by the various kindergarten committees; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr. G. O'Hal- i loran. i