Kindergarten Needs To Be Appraised

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31047, 30 April 1966, Page 2

Kindergarten Needs To Be Appraised

The Christchurch Free Kindergarten Association has formed a sites and development committee to find suitable sites for future kindergartens, the president, Mrs A. M. Steven, said in her report to the annual meeting. The new committee will also arouse and foster support for kindergartens in new areas and will act in a supervisory capacity with new groups before the planning stages of new kindergartens when the building committee will take over.

Preliminary surveys of the need for kindergartens have been made in the Avonhead, Bishopdale, Hoon Hay, Northcote, and Marshlands areas, by the zoning committee, said Mrs Steven.

The principal of the Christchurch Kindergarten College, Mrs P. Dalmer, reported 127 applicants for training this year. Raising of the entrance qualifications had not caused a dearth of applications, she said.

Pj;e-entry groups had increased and were now held in nearly all kindergartens, said the supervising director, Miss E. Millen. These sessions gave mothers an insight into what their children would do at kindergarten as well as allowing

them to meet staff who would care for the children. Teachers were able to gain pre-knowledge of future pupils, and the children gained confidence to help them take the first step out of the home, said Miss Millen.