CARE OF CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 8, 9 July 1912, Page 7

CARE OF CHILDREN

SOME INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS BEFORE EDUCATION COMMISSION. r An interesting suggestion was put before the Education Commission to-day by Miss Dorothy Fitch, of the Normal School, in regard to the care of young children in schools. She urged, in a comprehensive address, the necessity fur properly organising education in its .widest sense for infants between the pges of three and seven years in such cases -where the home is unable to provide suitable environment and care. The present system provided for the admission of children of five years into the State school, which meant allowing the child, for the two most impressionable years of his life, to gain his training from the street, and then' confining him to hard and fast regulations in overjcrowded infant rooms, in many caees "injurious and at least always unsuitable |or any real development. What should be done was to organise day nurseries, nursery schools, or kindergartens, which .would carry the child from the. age of three to the age of seven. The organisation of achool work would lead to greater efficiency and lessen working expenses, particularly if the older girls of the school could take, as a part of their domestic science course, practice in the care and supervision of the babies in their playrooms and learn, the management of children by actual experience under the skilful direction of a proper kindergartner. The present system of herding together masses of children in unnatural surroundings 'and injurious •tiUness was absolutely evil. Physical defects, such as adenoids, short-sighted-ness, want of cleanliness, could receive fro attention, whereas with small classes curative treatment would be quite possible, and tfrus the general health of the school would be improved. Miss Fitch concluded by advocating the appointment of women inspectors to look after the infant departments in schools. Such an officer could do much to improve the conditions in infant schools. In the course of examination by membars of the Commission, Miss Fitch said she did not want children -to receive formal teaching in syllabus work before tbe age of seven. Girls of the Fifth and Sixth Standards were quite capable of looking after children; she had seen girls of the Third Standard looking' after children. Jn order to give guls ftn opportunity of taking up this important branch of work, other less important subjects should be sacrificed. She thought looking after young children was quite pufficiout physical exercise for older girls. Mr. Pirani added that in Wanganui it wa» given as a special honour to girls the opportunity of spending an hour in the kindergarten.