THE WORK OF THE FREE KINDERGARTEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 219, 9 June 1908, Page 5

THE WORK OF THE FREE KINDERGARTEN.

At the meeting .',of> the Wellington Free , KindergartenUnion'. anil v its-' friends, held ( yesterday 'at'Mi's'..;, Grady's., residence, tho ; three ladies whoospokb-.-'dealt .-mainly, .with tho valuo ■ of-.tho.-irco kindergarten to 'the ■ . -community. Mrs. '-.AtkinsoiV\ eulogised . Miss. Richmond's energy, m establishing. what''.was tho first .freo kindergarten: opened iii Wellington."- She said that, in this respect, Dun- • edin had had twenty start'of,.the rEm- , pire City;' There,are now four free .kinder- , gartens. in iDunedin, and . recently an-:lii T spector of - Police ; had said ,'tliat. V. these / schools had entirely checked'the flow of chil- , dren into the industrial schools.- There had before been private kindergartens jn different parte of Wellington,-but until this- free; kindergarten was opened, there was no> provision'-, whatever for the children of the. poor. Leading authorities were now agreed that the first seven .years of a child's life, woro tho most important, and that in those years' its habits should bo formed, and. a' bias given to its character, but' tlie State schools only dealt with tho child '-during two-of - thoso years. ' The free kindergarten took the child from the age of three, when it was too young to be taught book" lessons, or any elaborate drill, and taught it by play and surrounded it with gentle beneficial influences. ■ There was no doubt that here in Wellington, as in-other towns wliero.kindergartens existed, the schoolhad a direct influence not only' , .upon the< children,, but upon the-community, around. .. ', • ■" ; ' -.Miss .. .Richmond- gave..:,an - interesting '/ sketch :of her experiences among teachers in England; < Germany, and. America/. In England she met many, teachers of State schools. , .< ■I felt very -much at .home with. them'i'' , she said,'." for various reasons, and one was that they, were always complaining about the overloading of the syllabus, and saying that they ■ could get no relief. That mado mo feel quite at home." Miss; Richmond went on to,tell .of . her visit to Froebel House, which ylias.- seve- , ral kindengartens connected v.'ith it. / Ono is attended by the children'of parents .who are well ablo to "afford; fees, and there fees'are ' charged/ Miss Richmond thought it would be : - well if .those New Zealand parents who' are able to afford : fees, but who prefer to have' their children take: the .public school course, Wer - to be asked . to contribute in some special way towards'tho'.cost .of-.edu-cation. - She was; much impressed with the - igreat advantages ■ possessed, by-'America .andtho .British colonies in the. absence of tho sectarian difficulties that ' trouble England, but was at s "that from'a thousand centres':at'Home':en- ■ lightenment was spreading. _In fact,; everywhere great progress was being made in educational matters'; the children were .being' cared for marvollously.: Coming back to New Zealand, she was rejoiced to realise how much more 'simple were the problems in this land, and hoped that' the people would accept the responsibility laid' upon them by this '•'• very freedom to make Wellington i (anoblo city. Speaking of the work of tho ' kindergarten, and the need of 'help, Miss Richmond said that while it was very pleas- . ant to talk:'about one's love' for children, that love' must'bo practical or it: was of no Help. Thero were people who hesitated to J Kiave. much to do with children lest the charm . and" glamour should wear off—who preferred their gingerbread with the gilt on it. Those who had to do- with children re- . quired a more practical v love, and they would find that their affection for the littlo ones , grew as they were able to serve them. .Miss •' Richmond thanked her friends for their cordial welcome.'* ■ .-' Miss Cybele Kirk, of, tho Tory Street Free Kindergarten, in a charming littlo spedch V narrated some of her experiences among her . little flock. Slio told of. the children's lovo for the school;', and of'the'pleasure that tho mothers of the neighbourhood take in its success. Sho.had quaint littlo stories to tell of the 'children; and. their sayings,\and if any of her hearers {had been in doubt as to . the necessity of maintaining the. free kindergarten to the pride and joy of its seventy-four ■ .-.-'small--souls she would, have been reassured by Miss Kirk's speech. - At the co'nclnsion of the addresses a vote of thanks was carried to Mrs. Grady.'for 'her kindness in arranging for and entertaining ' the gathering. -