OPEN-AIR SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 19272, 10 June 1926, Page 6

OPEN-AIR SCHOOL

FIRST IN BTMO DISTRICT OPENED TO BENEFIT BACKWARD CHILDREN ADDRESS BY THE HON. J. A. HANAN. The opening took place this afternoon of an educational institution which ! should fill a long-felt need in the Otago j district—an open-air school for children whose mental alertness is not of ! the standard of the average healthy and normal child. The school is situated next to the children’s playground at Kew. HISTORY OF THE PROJECT. The Hon. Mark Cohen, who has been the moving spirit in the project since its inception, presided, and welcomed those present. He read apologies from the Minister of Education (Hon. R. A. Wright), who was on his way to Dunedin, but could not reach her© in time, from Miss Valintine (in charge of the special branch of the Education Department), the mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P.), the chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr W. E. S. Knight), and announced that ho had received letters commending the project from Sir James Allen, Sir Arthur Myers, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, and Sir James Mills, all of whom had been subscribers to the fund and who wished the movement every success. Mr Cohen read the correspondence which had passed between the department and himself. It started in 1920 and reached a material point in 1923. It was suggested that the Hudson brothers, who had purchased an acre of land adjacent to the children’s playground, should perpetuate the memory of their father, who was a citizen who did much for the welfare of the city, by establishing either an educational or a philanthropic institution. They fell in with the suggestion to build a kindergarten and a special wing for retarded children from the primary schools of the district (Caversbam, St. Clair, and Macandrew Road)_, and authorised Mr Cohen to treat with the Minister.

Mr Cohen went on to say that he had been in touch in turn with the Hon. J. A. Hanan and the Hon. Sir Jas. Parr, both of whom had given valuable assistance. Ultimately the Government granted a subsidy towards the cost of the building. Mr Cohen suggested that the special school should be joined to tho other buildings, as had been done at the Myers School in Auckland, but, owing to difficulties with the ground, that idea had to be dropped and separate buildings erected. Tho kindergarten bulling cost tho Hudson brothers several thousand pounds, and the speaker completed the proposal for tho open-air school, Dr R. B. Phillips, of the department, drawing the plans. The open-air school would be a memorial to the speaker’s late wife. Tho public had subscribed nearly £9OO for tho purpose, and the Government had given assistance up to £350. Mr W. C. Burt and his wife had given £250, which he wished to acknowledge to-day. (Applause.) BENEFIT OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

The Hon. J. A. Hanan (ex-Minister of Education and Justice), who had a cordial reception, expressed thanks for the invitation to him to open the new school j and paid a tribute to flic public spirit shown by the Hou. Mark Cohen and the other citizens who were responsible for the success attained in bringing about the establishment of such a valuable educational institution. He said that, whatever the faults of the present age might be, no one could charge it with-neglecting the interests of the young._ There never was a time when public opinion and public conscience had been _so awakened to the transcendental importance of child culture and tho conservation of infant life. Never had tho cause of education been so much on the lips of thoughtful men and women. Tho world had never witnessed such widespread humanitarian efforts as were now made to help to the utmost the welfare of the child in order that it might get the fullest value out of life and give tho pul lest return to the world. , , ~ , ~ Everyone who had read the history or the industrial revolution of a century ago and the revelation made of the callous treatment to child, life and the incredible barbarities committed on tho infant population of England in mines, mills, factories, and other industrial concerns, must realise what remarkable and beneficent changes had taken place in the protection of the young and in training of body and mind. It was now about twenty-two years since the new educational venture was undertaken of opening in Germany a now open-air recovery school, designed for backward and physically-debilitated children, who could not keep pace with tho work in the regular schools, and were not fit subjects for the classes of subnormal pupils. The wonderful suecess in tho way of physical and mental benefits that had resulted to tho children had caused the idea of open air schools to spread, not only in Germany, hut particularly m England and America. In England these schools wore opened at first for the summer months only, but now they were held all the veat through. At first these schools were for the physically un it and montally-backward, but the wonderful improvement in the health ana fitness of tho children had made some authorities desirous ot bringing ,ies ® healthy conditions within tho read) ol all children c , Apart from bodily health, one of the advantages of this type of school was the fact that outdoor work made it necessary to have more freedom in moving about, and so _ the work done was becoming more national, and meeting the requirements of the growing child better than the orthodox sitting still in school. After referring to the educational features of suen schools, Mr Hanan said that no ultimate need of the State was more imperative or more urgent than that of securing the health and physical efficiency of the rising generation, with a view to all-round pratical education. There was no doubt that mental capacity and moral conduct depended mainly upon, or was related to, the public condition ot children. It was in the very early years that defects or imperfections which caused so much trouble in alter hie yielded to corrective or development methods. Prevention was better than cure, and much less costly from a monetary point of view. In all the educational work ho had been able to accomplish, and in all the views he had put forward to secure educational advances, there was one central idea —namely, that health was the main essential or fundamental necessity in the education of the young and for their efficient equipment for the battle of life. In this connection it would be always a source of satisfaction to him that he was able, during his terms of Ministerial office, to bring about, among other reforms, the establishment of the school medical service, with its doctors, nurses, physical instructors, and dental officers, for the appointment of which he had votes placed on the Estimates. That service represented a potent force in preventive medicine. Its aim was mainly utilitarian and economical—nay, almost commercial. The national value of such work in helping to build up from the foundation a stronger, more healthy, and virile race could not bo over-estimated. We were building today for the New Zealand of to-morrow. In declaring the school open Mr Hanan expressed ■ his hearty wishes for its success.

ACCEPTED BY EDUCATION BOARD The school was then accepted by Mr J. Wallace (chairman), on behalf of the Education Board. bliss Bounin, who has been appointed teacher of the school, has had experience of special work in the children’s ward of the Dunedin Hospital and in the special work of the Children’s Convalescent Home. She will be assisted in the management by Dr Irwin, the school medical officer. About eighteen children will be accommodated.