‘Dumping ground’ for children

Press, Issue 33846, 19 May 1975, Page 6

‘Dumping ground ’ for children

(New Zealand Press Association)

FEILDING, May 18.

“More parents are regarding early childhood education facilities as ‘dumping grounds’ or babysitting groups,” said the Minister of Education (Mr Amos) when he opened the twenty-eighth annual conference of the Playcentre Federation, in Feilding, yesterday.

He was addressing more than 100 delegates to the conference and about 200 spectators from all over the country.

“Other parents, or perhaps the same ones, think the work done by parents in helping the groups is ‘disgraceful in a welfare State’,” he said.

“Obviously there is a need to educate parents in the importance and worth of early childhood education. “And ■ something which concerns me is the belief expressed by some that too many people are trying to formalise the child’,? education far too soon. INVOLVEMENT

“Parents must be helped to understand the value of early childhood education.

I “Because it could be detri- ; mental to separate a child ; from his mother too soon, I too abruptly and for too i long, more emphasis has ! been placed on the necessity i for parents to be involved in the running of the centres,” the Minister said. .Mr Amos went on to outline some of the most significant developments in pre-school education. “The four-to-one subsidy for the provision of kindergarten and playcentre buildings, provides optimum conditions for the learning of young children. And of course, one of the most farreaching steps has been the inclusion of kindergarten training in teachers’ colleges. “This one step will do more than anything else at this stage to reinforce the importance of early. childr

hood education as a full partner in the education experience,” said Mr Amos.