DEPUTATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17324, 25 May 1918, Page 5

DEPUTATIONS.

THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. DUNEDIN KINDERGARTENS. 1 Yesterday morning a deputation, consisting of Mrs Gilkison (president of tho Dunedin Kindergarten Association), Miss G'lendining (secretary), Messrs T. K. Sidey, M.P., C. E. Statham, M.P., M. Cohen, and D R. White, waited on tho Hon. Mr Hanan (Minister of Education) to ask for financial assistance for tho Dunedin kindergartens. Mr Sidey said the deputation wished to I tiring before the Minister certain urgent | claims that tho kindergartens had at the present time on ° tho consideration of tho Government. _ These were tho necessity for doing something to increase the number of students, tho urgent necessity of placing the Yaralla school on a proper foundation, and the necessity for finding additional financial assistance from the Government. The time was coming, and the war was emphasising it more, when tho Stato must recognise that it had a duty to perform to tho young people of the country. It was in the interests of the Stato that that duty should be performed. It was also felt that, if tho Government was to realise tho afterwar conditions, now was the time to proparo for them. The matter was as urgent as any other that was being undertaken at *he present time by the Government. Mrs Gilkison said the Kindergarten Association's subscriptions this year wero expected to total £200, and the capitation gTant £220, or a total of £420, while the expenses were estimated at £479, leaving a deficit of £59. They were loth to beg for what they thought should b© given to them by the open hand. At present, however, there were calls on the people for patriotic movements, which appealed more strongly than did- tho kindergarten work. It was increasingly difficult to get in subscriptions, and therefore the association asked the Government to make up tho deficiency. At present they had no supervisor and no students, and no possibility of getting either. If the Minister could seo his way to have kindergarten students put on the same footing as the Training College students they would have a supply at once, and if the college could arrange its classes to do the work required for kindergarten students in tho afternoon it would do away with the necessity for a supervisor for the kindergarten alone. This would be a linking-up of the State and the kindergartens, and later on, if the State absorbed the kindergartens—a day they ■were looking forward to-; it would have a staff of kindergarten workers ready at its band to begin the necessary work. Mr White thanked the Minister for the assistance he had already given to kindergartens. The association carried on its work economically, and to a large extent gratuitously, and if it could not get the deficiency made up it would have to close two of its sohools. The work had been i carried on in Dunedin for 30 years, and ! the association would not close the schools unless it was absolutely compelled to do SO. I In reply, Mr Hanan said he appreciated very much the efforts that had been made on the part of those interested in kindergarten work to stimulate public thought on this important phase of education. It was a phase of work that would come into more prominence as they recognised their duty to promote child'-wglfare. It would also come into better recognition when tho men of the Second Division were being called up. He was very anxious to see that everything was done to look after the educational interests of the children who would bo left by the fathers who might have to got to front. He hoped the time was not far distant when the- would make kindergarten work part and parcel of the system. And l while beginning a little earlier with education, he also wanted to seo the period of compulsory education extended. He was of opinion—and he was glad he had tho support of Mr White and other gentlemen who had made a deep study of educational problems—that probably the most serious defect in the education system was that the oompulsory period for education ended at 14, which was too early. It was then that the foundation for knowledge was being laid, and it was of the utmost importance, in tho interests of the individual and of the State, that the education should be continued. He would bo delighted if, as one result of the war. the lesson was driven home to them that education did not end when a boy reached 14. Kindergarten work had not been on a proper footing. While he recognised the position in which the association found itself aa regards funds, thev must deal with the matter in a comprehensive way and take a survey of the work all through New Zealand. They must see if they could not do something to place it on a satisfactory footing. The association's difficulties in carrying on its work wero going to be accentuated, andi -possibly it might have to discontinue this splendid phase* of publicspirited educational work. It was gratifying to find in_New Zealand so many generous, public-spirited men and women doing the work because of the love they ha<l for children and out of a desire to promote child-welfare. _ The Estimates for the year did not contain an item to enable him to give the association increased financial assistance, but he intended to place before his colleagues before next session the question of taking control of kindergarten work. If the Cabinet was not prepared to go that length, he would lay before it proposals with a view to placing the work that was being done by private enterprise on an improved! footing. Mr Sidey asked if the Minister could relax the conditions under which ho was prepared to pay a subsidy for the establishment of a school _in tho north end. Mr Hanan said it was not much use relaxing the conditions if he had not the money. Mr Sidev said that one of the conditions was that the size of the ground should not be loss than half-an-acre. Would not a quarter acre suffice? . Hanan ■ said he had to look at the matter from the point of view of the needs of the future. A mistake that was made in the past in regard to manv school grounds m the dominion was that the people did not possess foresight, and the people of to-day ought not to leave themselves open to condemnation in the future for not looking to the requirements of the day to come.

DUNEDIN TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR STUDENTS. In the afternoon & deputation from the Dunedin Technical School waited on the Minister to ask for monetary assistance in purchasing a farm for the purposes of the school. The deputation consisted' of Messrs T. Scott (chairman of the Board of Managers), Mr E. F. Duthie, and Mr A. Marshall (director). It was stated that the College managers design to purchase .a farm for the purpose of teaching agriculture. It was intended to use the farm as an experimental or model farm, testing seeds, manures, etc. This would enable those taking the agricultural course at the college to get farm experience on model lines. The farm would also provide a training-ground for returned soldiers. Mr Scott added that at present the College was teaching only the fringe of agriculture, and the managers wanted a place whore they could tcach it in its entirety— tho practical as well as the theoretical. The necessity had become more acute lately because they had 40 returned soldiers at the school, some of whom intended to go ih for farming. The only part they could teach at present was wool-classing. If they could securo a suitable farm of 100 acres or so, would the Government pay half t,he cost? After hearing the other members of the deputation, the Hon. Mr Hanan said he was pleased that public opinion was being awaekned to the imrportance of agriculture in education. Ho could not say it was on a satisfactory footing. Speaking of tho two departments concerned—Agricultaro and Education—it was necessary to find when the work of tho Education Department commenced and when it ended, and ho was hoping to discuss with the Minister of Agriculture matters in connection with agricultural education in order that the functions of tho respective departments might be clearly defined. He wanted to prevent over-lapping in tho development of agricultural education. High Schools had established agricultural courses, and there were also courses at tho technical schools. It was_ necessary to lay down on what lines each institution should work to avoid, if possible, over-lapping and unnecessary expense, and to secure that the money advanced wonld bo profitably spent. Ho was unable to acoodo to the proposal of tho deputation, as he had no _ power under the Aot to assist managers of a school to procure a site. It was tho rule to leave it to the locality in which tho school was to be placed to provide tho site. He trusted that technical work in this country would yot be carried out on better lines than at present, and he hoped tlicy would be able to seenro tho services of a capable man who would Iny able to organiso technical education. It had not boon properly organised, and there was need of securing the Juryiaei of S man who hod the capacity

and the organising ability to take charge of it. At present it was difficult to obtain money for other than war work. He had ondeavoured to assi-st technical work, which must be further developed if, as a people, they were to havo that power which was so essential to industrial efficiency. They must look more and more to the technical schools to sccure the highly trained worker in their foundries, factories, and farms if they wero tj promote the development and the welfare of New Zealand. Ho was anxious to see part-time continuation classes in connection with trades, but if, for military purposes, tho toaching profession was to be depleted much more it would postpone the introduction of reforms such as the parttime system. The members of_ tho deputation then had a conversational discussion with the Minister.