THE CHARM OF KINDERGARTEN WORK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 11

THE CHARM OF KINDERGARTEN WORK.

This month.'sees many'a Wellington girl stepping but from the s6hoolroom and. turning her face .towards the.world that lies beyond. The routine of years has come to an 'ond : ,ihe long terms of preparation'for some l thing unknown- arc over, and she lias, to a great extent, hor life-in her; own hands. What'will she' do? ' The majority of the girls are brought'up, with the idea, of earning their own livlih'ood, or helping in the housework. Few of them will look forward to an aimless life, and ' most of them will want to begin their new course of business or work, or fur-. ther training very soon. Those who mean to ejarn .their own living will'.probably, crowd into either one.of two .already-well filled channels. They will become teachers or clerks, and if the former thoy will probably aim.'at becoming teachers in a High School. It is safe, to predict that not half a dozenof them will think.of taking. up the. first of teaching work, the. training of the mites. Kindergarten teaching is, at-a discpunt in Wellington".' At the breaking up of the Free Kihdergarten in Tara'naki! Street on Thursday, 'the Rev. ■P.'- W. Fairclougb spoke of the impossibility of getting "assistant: teachers in- the school, apprentices who would'work for a'small'fee for the-sake'of gaining .the systematic and valuable training. The girls cannot be found, who appreciate the advantages that' the Free Kindergarten offers: , , And , yet one would think that the training of tiny children was ideal work for a .young girl. ■ There is a great opportunity. l .for.girls who do -take -this up.' As the. work; of .the kindergartens is bettor, understood in -New .Zealand-it .'will. be. tho, bettor appreciated, and fit will-bo,very .hard; to keep:Up' with tho'. increasing demand for; trained ■ kindergarten; teachers. ' In Sydney! where tho free, boon. only recently.established .their, usefulness .has be-; come;so apparent' that they .are-spreading in! all 'directions. . Throe years -ago- there were only•three.;-now there are eight in different suburbs of the city,' all doing most excellent work, 'lint only amongst, the children, but amongst the adults of tho neighbourhoods where they are established. They have a well equipped training school there which sends teachers to various parts of the States. Here in New Zealand our girls have, boon under the disadvantage of not being able to obtain certificates, hut now they can work up for the certificate grouted • by Frocbel House, London, a certificate that is recognised all over the civilised world. It is necessary to have two years' traiuing at a kindergarten before earniflg this, certificate,

find the free kindergartens provide the opportunity.' The charm of kindergarten work is that itgrows nn. in' the interest, for I hose engaged in it, and the teacher who, at Hie end of the first, six months is discouraged, and inclined to doubt her fitness for the care of children, is likely lit the end of two years to he absorbed in. tlie fascinating, task of developing the child mind. It is a work that requires infinite patience, and it is a work thai, develops patience with wonderful rapidity. The reward conies day hy day in i.ho shape of little, difficulties overcome, little steps taken by the wee children wliat in a kindergarten , is the pleasant path.of education. It. was.Mr. Dooley who said that it'didn't much .matter what a child learned so long as it. was difficult'. That doctrine may hold at a later stage of the child's education. In the kindergarten, it is the aim of the teacher to instruct by cheerful means, and to truly lead the baby mind.