IMPORTANCE Of INFANT TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 17329, 17 April 1920, Page 2

IMPORTANCE Of INFANT TRAINING

EMPHASISED BY MINISTER OF Education. BALCLUTHA INFANT SCHOOL. “The Education Department, instead of looking upon the infant school as the -least important branch, now looks upon it as the most important,’’ said the nowlyappointed Minister of Education (Hon. 0. J. Parr) m the course of his speech yesterday at the opening of a splendid new r . s = ho ° l a* the Balchit-ha District High School Those present included Messrs J. V allaoe (chairman of the Otago Education Board), A. S. Malcolm, M p Inspectors Fleming and Robertson, Rodger (Education Board • architect), Nlcoleon (rector), G. W. Wood (chairman of the school committee), members of the committee, teachers mid scholars, arid parents and friends.

Ihe new infant department, which was inspected by the Minister before the opening ceremony, is a substantial handsome bnck building, healthily situated, well lighted, and splendidly ventilated. There are two classrooms, one being 36ft by 26ft, and the other slightly smaller, and a teachers room. The walls are of cement plaster, with blackboards attached. The desks are handy and comfortable. In the larger room there are about 70 pupils under Miss Elder (mistress) and on assistant, and over 40 in the other room under a junior assistant. The most important feature of the rooms is the method of ventilation, there being a ventilator in the i ceiling and on each side a row of windows, - which, when opened, allowed a current of air to pass across the room. -Mr Wood welcomed the Minister. A great number of efforts, he said, had been made by the committee to get increased accommodation, and through persisting they had at last got the very fine building to be opened that day. Mr Parr, after returning thanks for his welcome, said he it the duty of a Minister of the Crown to become acquainted with those parts of New Zealand which he did not know. He had seen enough already in his short tenure of office to realise that it was very easy fertile Minister to get snowed under in WelliuMon with departmental flies, reports, and papers, and to find it extremely difficult, if he did not make an effort'to get away, to see other parts of New Zealand. He came from the very far north, and to-day was in the very far south. He was very pleased to have had an opportunity of seeing their country. It was new country to him, and what he had seen had impressed him very favorably. “If this is a fair sample of the sort of weather you get,” said Mr Parr, “I, even as an Aucklander, envy you.” What a change had come over the treatment- of infants in the schools as compared with 40, 30, or even 20 years ago! In his younger -days the little ones had been dealt with in the same stiff, rigid way as the older ones. They had had to sit bolt upright, and facts were hammered into them whether they wanted them or not. The Education Department was particularly deserving of praise for the liberal changes in the spirit- and treatment made with regard to the infants. Instead of stiffness and rigidness they now had freedom of body and mind. To-day they made -play of learning. A very fine Italian ladv. Madame Marie DrMontessori,had brought out some new ideas in the training of infants, and her ideas were taking hold all over the- world. The- chiefidea was to take the play of the little ones from the homo into the school. The results were very much better than they were in the old days. The Education Department, instead of looking on the. infant school as the least important branch, now looked upon it as the most important. In days gone by inspectors would merely look into the infant room and pass on to the other standards, but to-day the infants were the most considered. The infant mistress held the most important position among the ladies on the staff of anv school.- It had been urged that the ladies teaching the higher standards should be put on the same level as the infant mistress, but he did not think that was justified. The characteristic principles of Mnntesorri and kindergarten were being gradually incorporated into the public school system. In training colleges they had kindergarten classes, and young teachers were being instructed in the work so that- every year there would be brought out- infant- mistresses. The Education Department was endeavoring to do its duty towards the little ones. He wished to congratulate them them upon the fine infant school they now had. He thought very highly of the archifcectual design. One thing had struck him as being particularly good —that was the ventilation. It was quite novel, and might well bo copied in other Schools. He hoped tbs new room would see the beginning of the life of many men and women to take an important- part in the future of the Dominion. “ May this infant school be the nursery of many fine men and women.” said the Minister,and of many fine citizens, for after all. what our educational sytsm him to'produce is citizens who will be healthy in body and mind, citizens worthy of this fine country, worthy of the boys of France and Gallipoli." It_ was of no use having a lot of brains with a weak body. lie hoped future generations of Balciutha would be able to look back with nrido at this school as the beginning of their school life- If it fulfilled that high ambition, it would not have been in vain. He had very much Treasure in formally declaring the building open and expressed the fervent hope that it would be a temple of learning in their borough and district. Messrs Wallace. Robertson, and Malcolm also made short addresses. The unveiling of the photos .of three members of the school staff who were killed In the Great- War was performed, by Colonel R. P... Grigor, who gave an impressive address and urged the children to livo np to the traditions of those who had fallen. The photos were those of Major TV. Mb lamer (formerly rector). T/eut. Wade (first assistant secondary department), and Lieut, A. Johnston (relieving teacher and ex-pupil). As the photos were unveiled Mr Mark Low sounded the ‘Last Post’ on the cornet.