Kindergartens divided ‘by colour'

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 2

Kindergartens divided ‘by colour'

(Hew Zealand Press Association) ' j HAMILTON, February 25. Ngaruawahia kindergarten administrators fear that the town now has one kindergarten for pakehas and one for Maoris.

The town has an oldestablished kindergarten, Galbraith kindergarten, on the west, “town,” side of the river and Newcastle Free Kindergarten Association on the east side. Newcastle was set up about two years and a half ago, financed largely by the Maori and Island Affairs Department. The kindergarten was an extension of one previously run at Turangawaewae Marae. The new kindergarten is well equipped and has a teacher-pupil ratio of three to one. But some Ngaruawahia parents prefer to sit on a long waiting list at Galbraith to sending their children to Newcastle. The older kindergarten has a waiting list of more than 100 — three times that at Newcastle kindergarten. Both kindergartens have rolls of about 80. But at Newcastle children enrolled in the afternoon sessions are an average age of three years three months, while at Galbraith most children cannot get in until they are four. Three-quarters of the children at Newcastle are Maori. At Galbraith only eight out of 80 are Maori. Both kindergartens’ head

teachers and the local kindergarten council president are worried at the segregation in the town’s preschool education.

Newcastle’s head teacher, Miss S. Winstanley, said some mothers did discriminate against her kindergarten. There was nothing to deter mothers from sending children to the kindergarten — other than the fact that it had a high Maori roll.

“I wish there was something we could do about it. Children have no prejudice at the kindergarten age. It’s so wrong to see mothers showing their children how to discriminate. Galbraith’s head teacher, Miss C. Davies, said there obviously were not meant to be kindergartens for different races in Ngaruawahia — “but that’s the way it turned out.” Parents were worried about her kindergarten’s long waiting list, and she had a constant stream of mothers wanting to get their children in as early as possible. “But when I’ve suggested to a few they could get their children in almost immediately at Newcastle, they have not been interested.” The president of the Ngaruawahia Free Kindergarten Association (Mr I. Todd) hopes the situation is improving: “In the old days the town had been traditionally divided into European and Maori sides by the river. I think this is disappearing."

Candidate. — The Labour Party General Election candidate for the Pahiatua electorate, now held by a former National Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake), is Mr Paul Thomicroft a draughtsman with the Waipukurau County Council.—(P.A.)