CRECHE AND KINDERGARTEN ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17097, 21 February 1916, Page 5

CRECHE AND KINDERGARTEN ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The first meeting of the general committee of the Christchureh Creche and Kindergarten Association for the year 1916 was held at the Y.M.C.A. Mrs T. E. Taylor, president, was in the chair. There was a good attendance. Mrs Taylor welcomed Mrs Ensomand Mrs Voss, who have just returned from extended tours.

The honorary treasurer reported that, the war wa,s responsible for the shrinkage of receipts and donations for schools, and although there was a surplus, yet it was small to work the schools with or to increase their sphere to the degree desired.

The president asked those present to make even greater efforts this coming year on behalf of the schools. The present depression in the finances was only of a passing nature. The association had bp-'n asked by people in six different suburbs to start kindergarten schools. There was not the slightest doubt that the public was awakening to the fact that the schools were a great factor for good to the children. Parents spoke in the highest praise of the valuable work the kindergarten schools were doing, jwid surely they were the best judges of good in their children. The public had only to learn the true facts of the good and useful work the kindergartens were doing and that the members of the committees were wishing to enlarge their sphere of usefulness and there would be a hearty response to an appeal for funds to carry on the noble work. It was a very difficult task to train teachers for kindergarten work. It was not e\ery woman who was fitted to be a kindergartener, and the committee exercised the greatest care in the selection of its teachers. The association would seek for more voluntary teachers wishing to be trained as kindergarteners. The system would probably help to lessen primary expenses, but what was really required now were skilled teachers to take charge of new schools. Theso women must be paid in accordance with their responsibilities, and it was for the public, to recognise that their lives were given whole-heartedly to the care and upbringing of little children.

Reports were read from Mrs Cromp-ton-Smith and Miss Inkpen, the New Zealand Government kindergarten examiner and inspector respectively. Both ladies spoke highly of the work of the past year, and Mrs Crompton-Smtih gave unqualified praise of the experiment of the Montossori system. Satisfactory school reports were also read from Miss Hull, the trainer for the association.