FREE KINDERGARTENS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 279, 21 August 1919, Page 8

FREE KINDERGARTENS

QUESTION OF FINANCE APPEAL FOR GOVERNMENT SUBSIDE A request that tlio Government should pay subsidies on moneys subscribed for the Free Kindergarten Association was made to the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Ilauaii) yesterday by a deputation from the Men's Advisory Committee of the Wellington Association. The members of the deputation were Messrs. William Ferguson, J. Burnett, T. Ballinger, and E. Pearson. Mr. Eorguson thanked the Minister for' the assistance that ha<l been given to tho association in tho matter of increased capitation. Tho members lof the committee, however, were of tlio opinion that the Government 6honld bo moro liberal in the matter of subsidies on moneys subscribed by tho public for tho kindergartens. They had received advice that in tho future they would not continuo to receive tho financial assistance that had been forthcoming from the Macarthy Trust. Tlio association had acquired another property adjacent to the kindergarten school, but there was a heavy mortgage on it. The, first building had been purchased entirely out of public subscriptions. Recently they had succeeded in raising about towards tho cost of tho second propert)' and the general opinion was that such subscriptions should be subsidised by the Government. He believed that if such amounts' .wcro subsidised tho public- would be moro generous in subScribing.

Mr. Ballinger, who is also a member of the Teciiniical (School Board, said that he was surnrised on becoming a member of the Finance Committee of the association to fintl that the. Government did not 'subsidise subscriptions, and pointed out that the technical schools received subsidies in addition to capitation. Seeing that the kindergarten wero freo institutions, he could not understand why they should not receivo the same consideration as technical schools which wore not free to the samo extent. If the public knew that their subscriptions would be subsidised by tho Shite_ they would be more liberal m assisting.

The Minister replied that tlio praotieo nf the Department was to grant a subsidy of ill for every £1 expended by free kindergarten associations on sites and buildings, subject to the regulations governing suoli grants, and on condition that the site and plans were approved by tho Department, tbat the property would revert to the Department in the ovent of tiho dissolving or coasing to satisfactorily uso tlio buildings for tlie purposes for which the subsidy is granted, or in the event of the Government undertaking the control of kindergarten services. The capitation granta f were increased some time ago, and the Department now paid 255. in the pound on eaoli ,£2 lfls. per head expended by the association. That meant that an association which expended £2 10s. was entitled to a capitation payment of .£3 2s. 6d. While there was no limit to the amount that an association may expend, it could not in any one year recoivo a highor capitation than .£3 2s. 6d. por hea<t Mr. Hanan said ho recognised tho boncScieiif character' of tlio work that was being carried on by tlie kindergarten associations, and appreciated the public spirit and social service displayed by those who were actively engaged in tho cause. They wero carrying on a snlandid sphere of educational work, and tho more consideration !ho gave to it tho moro he wa6 convinced that' the Stato should extend its system to include kindorgarten instruction. He had recontly submitted proposals to Cabinet for the inolusion of this branch of work in the educational system, and tho Government ftad approved of, draft legislation being prepared to give power to the State to undertake this phase of work. Mr. Ferguson said that they wished that condition removed in regard to the payment of subsidies which- provided for tho property reverting to the Government in the event of its undertaking the control of kindergarten services. The lady members of the association held the view that tho Department in the past shad not shown by experience that it was pompotent or fit to satisfactorily carry on kindergarten work. He instanced that in some of the kindergarten olasses connected with normal schools there were GO, 80, and 100 pupils, and tliia was entirely opposed to the kindergarten system. If that was the way the State proposed to carry on the services there would still bo room for the associations to remain in existence and carry on their schools. They were quite prepared to agree to the 'other conditions regarding the property reverting to the State in the event of the association dissolving or ceasing to satisfactorily use the buildings for kindergarten purposes. .

Tlio Minister pointed out in reply that t'lie experience of the Department' lmd proved that it was imprudent to Rive subsidies on amounts subscribed -unless it was assured that the money would ljo expended on certain approved purposes. He referred at length to the drift that had taken place in connection with moneys annually granted to boards, which had expended the money on services other than those for which such sums were provided by the Department. The system had been a bad one. and it had Riven him considerable work in altering the method of keeping accounts, in order that the moneys voted should be spent on certain defined purposes. He promised, however, to look into the request that had been made by the deputation.