FREE KINDERGARTENS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 376, 18 March 1932, Page 9

FREE KINDERGARTENS.

Dominion-wide Petition to Parliament. CHRISTCHURCH MEETING. The March meeting of the Christchurch Free Kindergarten Association was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms, when Mrs H. T. J. Thacker presided. Other members present were: Mesdames K. Hadfield, J. R. Evans, Stewart, Dunbier, Powell, Retallick, Rodda, Bellamy, Coddington, Hamlin, Peppier, Miss L. V. Tabart and the secretary. Mrs Thacker reported that she and Mrs Evans had been the representatives from Christchurch when the Dominion-wide petition for the restoration of the capitation grant had been presented to the House of Parliament. She said that the delegation that waited on the House on March 3 had been well and impressively arranged, speakers from all over the Dominion stressing eloquently the needs of the child. The delegation was promised that the claim would be carefully considered by Cabinet. An executive meeting of the Kindergarten Union was held in Wellington on March 4, when the general aspect of kindergarten affairs in New Zealand was reviewed with some anxiety. It was stated that in some towns schools would be obliged to close, and these unfortunately in districts where the mother helped to earn the daily bread. It was decided not to hold a kindergarten conference this year. Mrs Evans paid a tribute to the fine support that Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., had given to the petition. Mr Sullivan has four free kindergarten? in his electorate and his petition bore more than 3500 signatures. It was arranged to hold the annual meeting on May 18, and to accept the invitation from the Selwyn Kindergarten to hold it at their school, making the afternoon a social gathering. School reports were encouraging. Attendances had been a litte affected by the infantile paralysis scare and by whooping cough. Each committee reported some fund-raising event, and in each school a harvest festival had been held. This was an annual celebration in which children, parents and committees all participated, with gratifying financial results. Voluntary subscriptions from parents for the month were: Sunbeam £5 0s 3d, Phillipstown £3 5s B£d, Sydenham £2 18s Bd, Selwyn £3 11s 9d, Richmond £2 17s B£d, Linwood £3, New Brighton £1 16s.