KINDERGARTEN WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 11

KINDERGARTEN WORK.

NEEDS OF THE CHILD.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY.

TRAINING OF TEACHERS

The Auckland Kindergarten Association held its annual presentation of diplomas last evening, Mr. H. P. Richmond, chairman of the council, presiding.

Mr. Richmond said the association was disappointed in being unable to transfer St. James' Kindergarten to a suburban site. It was hoped this might be accomplished at a later date. Miss E. M. Gibson, director of the training classes, reported that 200 children attended the association's kindergarten and 17 students had completed tho year's course of instruction.

Replying to a published criticism of kindergarten work, Miss Gibson said that the- aim was to try and make the children happy. The child with an unhappy childhood tended to develop nervous troubles and diseases, and would lead an unhappy life. A child needed three things: health, wise and loving care, and plenty to do. Though mothers loved their children they frequently luckod the knowledge that the association endeavoured to teach. No child who was punished as much for trifling offences as for serious ones could grow up a desirable citizen. Again, the child needed much more freedom than most people imagined. Restriction of freedom brought up the child lacking in will-power and initiative. By this she did not advocate, unlimited freedom; trained supervision was needed as well. The charge that kindergartens taught children to play and not to work was pointless to the person who understood the importance of play in a child's life. As in tho caso of animals, a child's play prepared it for what it had to do when it grew up. She knew that a great many teachers and a number of high educational authorities in Auckland and the Dominion approved of tho work the association was doing, though she quite realised that the type of teacher who liked to see children sitting up straight and pretending to do something perhaps did not approve of kindergartens. Miss Gibson was the recipient of a letter, enclosing a cheque, sent to her by tho committees of the four free kindergartens in appreciation of her untiring efforts in making the institutions what they were. Diplomas were presented by the chairman to the folloaving student-teachers, tho first two of whom obtained distinction: —Misses A. Aubin, N. Wake, G. Brough, R. Coleman, P. Lipscombe, K. Marshall, P. Norrie and E. Thompson. At tho conclusion of the ceremony the visitors inspected an excellent display of students' handwork and were afterwards served with refreshments.