A SOCIAL ASSET

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 2

A SOCIAL ASSET

THE KINDERGARTEN SERVICE ASSOCIATION'S APPEAL TO-MORROW There are many institutions in Dunedin which are performing extremely valuable work in the field of social services. Few, however, can claim to be worthy of greater public support / than the Free Kindergarten Association, which is launching an appeal in the city streets to-morrow. The fine work performed by this body has been emphasised on numerous occasions, but few people realise the tremendous burden which falls upon the administrative executive in raising sufficient finance each year to maintain the service, let alone its efforts to bring about a much-needed extension of its activities. The restoration of the Government subsidy to tho association enabled the reopening of the North-east Valley School, which had to be closed for lack of funds. Now the association has six schools under its care—three in the south end, two. in the north end, and one at Kaikorai. In these schools between 300 and 400 children are catered for, but the number of children between the ages of three and five years, who are eligible for instruction, is far in excess of those already accommodated. The greatest need of the association to-day is an extension of the work to those suburbs without kindergarten facilities, but this cannot be done without liberal financial assistance from citizens interested in the welfare of mothers and their children —who, incidentally, represent a nation’s greatest social The cost of maintaining the existing kindergartens in Dunedin is estimated a* from £1,500 to £2,000 per annum, which means that the association is obliged to find about £BOO per annum — the Government subsidy being 25s for every 20s raised up to £4 per child per annum. The raising of this finance presents a rather huge task to the gallant band of female workers who comprise the association’s executive. The funds are required to meet the cost of building maintenance, teachers’ salaries, and general expenses. That such expenditure is justified can he realised from the fact that the kindergarten provides a necessary link in child welfare development from the Plunket stage to tho primary school. To-morrow the association’s workers will be looking forward to a generous response from their appeal to citizens, and it is to‘be hoped that the collection will fully express Dunedin’s appreciation of the service being rendered by the kindergarten movement. A generous response will also have the effect of stimulating the enthusiasm of thoso who voluntarily devote their time to the interests of Dunedin, snd indirectly New Zealand as a whole.

The kindergarten has, without question, a definite place in the development of a virulent and happy race of people. Is it necessary for anything further to be said?