Stories

Te Ao Hou, December 1966, Page 15

Stories In May, 1964, the Advancement Committee in collaboration with members of The Friends of the Alexander Public Library was planning a weekly afternoon story hour for primary children at Punga-haruru. It was to be ostensibly for entertainment only, its educational purpose cunningly concealed beneath the choice of the very best stories and the very best illustrations, and weekly borrowing of the very best books, from a collection lent by the School Library Service. It was meant chiefly for Primers 3–4 and Standards 1–2, but any interested child was welcome to come. By the time these classes ended for the year in November there were 37 children on the roll, their ages ranging from four to twelve years. The intention was to give the children extra experience with language—to encourage them both to listen and to talk, and to foster in them a love of books. A co-opted member of the Advancement Committee, Mr G. Turner, headmaster of Castlecliff School, asked whether such a scheme could be extended to some of his pupils. Castlecliff has a high proportion of seasonal and migrant workers. Many of these are relocated Maori families from country areas. Mr Turner described the plight of children beginning primary school handicapped by poverty of ideas and language. They had not been read to, had not attended any pre-school centre and were shy and inarticulate. They were an extreme case of the ‘two years’ edu-

cational handicap' so eloquently described by some of our leaders. Other children had missed a great deal of schooling through illness or the parents’ unawareness of the need for regular attendance. Some had attended up to eight different schools in a short period of years. With true aroha the Putiki people immediately offered to sacrifice their class in favour of Castlecliff, where the need was so much greater. The Friends of the Library appealed to members for more help, began the story hours at Putiki as planned, and undertook to begin at Castlecliff as soon as arrangements could be made. Mr Turner telephoned the secretary of the Friends to say thank you: ‘I have one hundred children waiting for you. When can you start?’