EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18642, 21 May 1932, Page 7

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT. FOR NEW SCHEME. Enthusiastic approval of Dr. Beeby’s “playground scheme" for the education of children under the school age was expressed at Christchurch by Dr. F V. Bevan-Brown, acting-presi-dent of' the Open-Air Schools League, and by Mr W. A. Rumbold, head master of the Sydenham School, both of whom urged that every encouragement should be given to what they regarded as a very promising experiment. “The playground scheme has the full support of tho Open Air Schools League," said Dr F. V. Bevan-Brown, acting-president of the league. “The aims of the league arc not conAned to the physical welfare of tho children, important as that aspect is, but the general welfare or the children, mental and physical, is part of our work. “The playground scheme will provide the children with a healthy anil natural educational atmosphere;— healthy in the sense that they are riot in a stuffy, sunless room, and also in tho sense that It imparts a feeling of freedom In the children, and Is a means of allowing Ihori interests in useful and active directions full • scope. Will be Doing Something. “They will he doing something, rather than merely passively listening to something told them by a teacher.)

or learning from a hook. Though book-learning is necessary, it forms far too exclusive a part of our educational curriculum, which is a very ; one-sided one, and fails to educate the children in a sufficiently wide ■sense of the word. "The scheme js not designed merely as a convenience for parents so that ] their children may have someone to look after them, but has very wide | 5 possibilities. It is really a practical j . example, in a small way at Arst, of | 3 bow education in the widest sense may J be carried out with Immense beneAt . to the children, and incidentally, to those engaged in looking after them, j The point of view of the practical j schoolmaster was expressed by Mr . Rumbold, who said that lie thought I | Hie playground scheme was a splen- . did idea. “Seeing that they are going to ex- ; elude the five-year-olds from school, 3 I think it should certainly be tried,” he said. "If the kindergartens- could J carry all the children on till they were 1 six It would not be needed, for, as Dr. Beeby says, trie kindergartens are doing a Ane work. As it ’is, howj ever, even they are threatened by the lack of money." A lot of people had at Arst thought I that there was very little in the scheme . Mr lUimboid said, but on thinking it • over had come lo realise that it had J great possibilities. | “Socialising” tho Scliomo. J Tho education I lie children would : gel in this way was, he thought, an excellent preparation for the more formal education oT the schools, lie placed great emphasis on the value of the scheme in “socialising” the children.

In some cases, he tnought, the children might beneAt more from a year , of the playground scheme trim they | would have done from a year at school. There was no reed, ho thought, for children to go to school before they were six; but unless something of this I sort were developed they might suffer through the raising of the school j age. I ======