FREE KINDERGARTEN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 83, 20 March 1928, Page 5

FREE KINDERGARTEN

AN INTERESTING VISITOR. MRS. T. E. TAYLOR, OF CHRISTCHURCH, A TALK ON EDUCATION. Mrs. T. E. Taylor, of Christchurch, well known as an enthusiastic worker tor public good, especially along educational lines, was a visitor to Hastings this morning and was seen by “Stella’ 1 at the r’Jee Kindergarten. Mrs. Taylor is the wite of tne late Mr. T. E. Taylor, who was well known as an orator tor many years in his position as member ot Parliament, and Mayor ot Christchurch. Mrs. Taylor has had long experience of kindergarten work, and holds a firm belief in the good n will c< tor New Zealand. In conversation, she said that the movement is now a national one in New Zealand, for there is a New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union. There is to be a world-wide representative Pan-Pacific Women s Conference at Honolulu in August next, and Mrs. Taylor is a New Zealand delegate for that great meeting. She was the founder oi the Christchurch branch of the Free Kindergarten movement where it has been established for 17 years. Mrs. Taylor, in speaking of the aims of the work, said that it helps immensely in relieving working mothers, or mothers who are at home with young children to care for. The children are taught good habits, and social give-and-take, and are early im-. bued with the communuity spirit. "The very women who criticise,” said Mrs. Taylor, “are those who can afford to send their children to a private kindergarten, or w’ho have no children and thus do not realise the work of a mother with a family and no help, BENEFITS OF FREE KINDERGARTEN. “It has come to stay, for all women of experience can now see the great educational value of teaching young children without any strain whatever. The unseen control exercised by the Directress has the effect of excellent restraint without any reaction on the part of the small pupils TRAINING OF TEACHERS. "The teachers in training for the work can obtain the New Zealand diploma on the lines of elementary Froebel, and also local diplomas. When women and girls have trained in this way, it is a good preparation for many professions. Some go on to the training colleges and become teachers at primary schools, others become governesses, and many again find it a help towards the nursing profession. FOLLOWS ON PLUNKET WORK. “It is a natural - sequence of the great work done in New Zealand by the Plunket Society. They care for the babies, and this tends and trains the babies grown older. It is infinitely better to see the children happily spending their hours than to see them playing in the streets lor want of proper accommodation. IDEAL CONDITIONS. "The ideal kindergarten is an open air school, with ioloing doors lacing the sun, and a garden all round. No kindergarten is perfect without a garden. At the Phillipstown school in the south we have nearly half an acre, and the ‘Sunbeam’ Kindergarten at St. Albans, Christchurch, lias quite a good garden. Each school has a committee, and all these committees are earning money. Many branches now have several hundred pounds put by to purchase their own land to make a garden and build a school, BASIS OF ALL EDUCATION. “I consider the kindergarten work is the basis of all education,” Mrs. Taylor remarked, and added that she was most disappointed that the Government had abolished the kindergarten in connection with New Zealand ttraining colleges. In Christchurch the cost is now from £lBOO to £2lOO per year and this could not be met without the enthusiasm ol private individuals who realised the tremendous national benefits of the work. There are 17 new teachers this year in Christchurch, Mid eight of these are voluntary workers. Mrs. laylor was President for eight year, ot the Christchurch brunch, but has given it up now as there were many excellent workers who could continue the organising needed, and so Mrs. Taylor herself lends her aid throughout New Zealand to help women’s organisations in many ways, and is to be presented and give an address this week at the W.C.T.U. Conference held in Napier. Mrs. McLeod, assisted by Miss Carter, led the children of the Hastings Kindergarten School in some of their play games which greatly charmed Mrs. Taylor. Morning tea was dispensed by Mrs. T. B. McNeil, one of the committee and later Mr. Chamberlain took Mrs. Taylor for a drive round the district.