FREE KINDERGARTENS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 2

FREE KINDERGARTENS.

A QUESTION OF FEDERATION. Delegates of tho Frco .Kindergarten Association niet in eoiiiorenco -yesterday at tho residence of Mrs. Urady,' The Terrace. Tho following wero present:—Miss Lavinia Kclsey, president of ?• o Free Kindergarten i Association, Dttnt.,.jn, Mr. Milns, principal of tito Training College, Auckland, and president of tho -Auckland Free' Kindergarten Association; Miss Gibson, headmistress of Free Kindergartens, Auckland; Mrs. T.'E. Taylor, president of the Christchnrch Frco Kindergarten Association; "Mrs. Langford, lion, secretary (Christchnrch); Mrs. T. H. Gill, president of'the Richmond Frco Kindergirtens, Wellington; and Miss M. E. Richmond, organising secretary-(Welling-ton). Miss Richmond presided at tho conference. Several members of the council of the Richmond Kindergartens .were also- present.. The following resolutions, passed at the Dunedin Conference, were confirmed:— . (1) "That it is most desirable that steps' be- taken, immediately to federate (within certain limits) the four Kindergarten Associations of the Dominion"! (2) "that whilst affirming tho value of a< uniform kindergarten syllabus for ; tho future kindergarteners, it is ; desirable that the Free Kindergarten Associations should preserve their autonomy in the following points: Local finance, appointment, and method of local teachers."'. ': Somb discussion followed tho latter proposal, Mr. Milns holding that If each cenue followed itis own method of training local, teachers, the project for securing'a,uniform training courso for them : would be nullified, j Miss Kelsey held that though the methods might be slight-ly-different, tho spirit and results obtained would be the same and tho matter was allowed to pass at that. • A uniform syllabus was then discussed) and the conference then went.into committee. From if was formed a 'subcommittee, consisting of Miss Richmond, Mrs. Taylor, Miss Fitch, Mrs. Gill, Miss Gibson, Miss Kelsey, and Miss Riley, to go intq the matter of tho syllabus and report!to the conference in- the after'nooti..'" - ','■. ■','■'. -.' •'■:'

. Mr. Milns, in speaking, sub'committee was -for'nicd!, was- 'Stroiigly 'against loading the: syllabus .with subjects that had no'; direct'.bearinsr upon the training' of young ohildren.' Wliat they 'wanted were bright;'motherly^girlsWho could adapt, thiimlselvcs child mind. Mrs.-.A. m.. Atkinson agreed and •boughtia.good thin? would be done-if ■it. could be arranged , that girls, before leaving.'school; should spend six or twelve months ■in . the kindergartens, and. learn how-attractive child nature-was. ;

The Question of Diplomas. ; - ;,„'A..>very : 'iniportant point that was: dia-'. cussed-was''tho. examining and granting of. diplomas by/the federal body. This body was to consist of ;'tho InspectorGeneral of Schools, and of two delegates" from each of the four centres, 'making in all nine members. Five was to form a quorum, and tho proposal of Mr. Milns's that' tho council "should nieet annually in .Wellington was carried. The federal examining body was to bo formed'.' \by ~ 'tho .headmistress of tho four centres, ■ who . would ' each travel In 'turn, with • the- 'federation, secretary to/each city; and there conduct their in practical: work; by the heads of training colleges, Svho would, in rotation,'• conduct examinations ;in boqtwbrk, in. which was included' child physiology'and history of education'; by tho lady,; principals of kindergartens in .Government Training Colletfes, who would"examine in Froebefs principles and nature study;: by headmasters.; in rotation' I of, ■normal schools of'the various centred;in, the subjects of elenleutary physiology anil child hygiene. Another, important point 6ettled was that each centre was to have a trained headmistress. The question of 1 'appointing a the' federation met; with somp discussion^'the qucslioii-of finance proving something of a ,6tUmbling blook.' She would be'required to travel to tho diffowrit .'centres, 1 to-be in herself a perfect bureau of information regarding kindergartens 'and 'kindergartn'eia, 'ana among other, duties, to register all.kin-■ dergartners who camo to the' Dominion. By this'registration much would bo done to raise the standard of the teachers; spurious teachers being done away With. Miss' Richmond proposed that she be paid a-minimum of a hundred pounds a year' and travelling expenses,. but it was pointed out by \ Mr. Milns that to get "a'' capable secretary, for such important work .£3OO .a year ; would not bo too much.. : The question of the payment of tho secretary's salary again came up when-deal-ring with the federation's finances. M«. Milns proposed" the 'following resolution: —"That a recbmrabndalibii from this .conference be made to each association that it be prepared to guarantee <£SO. fof the first year, for the purpose of providing the salary for the.:organising score; t-ary,". It would at tho-beginning actually be reduced.to .£l5O-'for'salary and \£sf) for expenses. , Ho-himfielf'was convinced thatitherc would bo no difficulty in guaranteeing 'Auckland's? J!SO towards the. salary. Fifty pounds was guaranteed from Wellington, and tho .recommendation after some hesitancy : from tho • southern ladies was carried,-Sirs.' Gill seconding It.

Government Recognition. - In: dealing 'with,. the', desirability,'of gaining Government recognition of diplomas, Miss Richmond pointed out tint such recognition would be most helpful to students, as they could if they; so wished apply to the Government for work in theh schools. In New: South Wales they hud been employed'in Government schools and with much success. '"."■ • ''•"•' Miss Riley, in speaking of the New South Wales Government, said that it had-been pleased to accept girls who had trained-in .kindergartens, and in several cases they had seoured.appointments in tho, towns at good salaries. It aßked no other examination' qualifications than that of their diplomas,'and she knew'of a girlwho received ,£l2O n, year. Mr. Milns thought that such' recogni-tion-was most valuable tostudents,' as they would be'able to take up whatever positions offered. In Auckland ho had heard of a kindergartner receiving only £30 a yoar.' With .Government recognition they oonld : ariply: for Government schools. For the benefit-of past student* he moved tho resolution that this recognition -should be- retrospective as regards those students who have already gained certificates in the four : centres. The resolution was carried. ■'~,',„ Miss Richmond.then moved the followins resolution:— ■ "That all the kindergarten•:. Bchools throughout the -Dominion, in charge of trained teachers, be invited to join the Federation provided they arc prepared to train their students upon tho lines laid down; to submit to inspection, and to pay such affiliation fee as shall bo agreed upon by the Federation Council, All stu-dents-of such schools to be eligible for. tho Federation's diploma provided they satisfy the Federation's examiners," . It was decided that the syllabus submitted to the conference in tho afternoon by tho sub-committee should bo referred to the cominitteo of the four centres. Miss'Kelsey's resolution proposing that this conference, recognising the great importance of kindergarten .training for young woman, and the great need there is throughout the Dominion for well-train-ed kindergnrtners, ,urgC3 upon the Government tiio desirability of securing a lady director or supervisor of kindergartens for tho Dominion, to be appointed by tho Free Kindergarten Federal Council, and approved by tho- Government, whose duties shall include periodic visitation of both free kindergartens and kin* ilergartcns in training colleges, inspectionend tho examination of kindergarten students for the grant in; of n diploma or efficiency which shall be recognised by tho Government, was deleted. Another proposal brought forward by Mr. Milns was that the Education Department be asked to grant a subsidy on 80 per cent of tho roll instead of on tho average attendance as at present. This concluded tho. business of tho conference. A hearty vote of thanks to Mrs. Grady for so kindly placing a room in her houso at the disposal of the delegates was passed with enthuMsm. Miss Gibson proposed a vote of thanks to tho Pioneer Club and those who had so -kindly entertained the derates while in Wellington, Mr*. Grady, in replying to Mr. Miko'a littl*

speech, said that she was only'too pleased to-do what she 'could for the kindergarten Association and that, tho room .they were at present in was always to be'placed at their disposal'.when wanted. •"... . ' : . ■ . | '.'■'■.'■ ■ ■■ : . ■■■,'■'.'