Wanganui saves Waiouru pre-school

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 465, 8 December 1992, Page 1

Wanganui saves Waiouru pre-school

By

Jan

Savell

The Wanganui Kindergarten Association have stepped in to prevent the closure of a Waiouru kindergarten. The Ruahine Kindergarten Association made the decision to close Keningston Street Kindergarten on 18 December 18. At a special meeting held last Wednesday both Waiouru Kindergartens asked to join the Wanganui Association in a last-ditch effort to avert the planned closure.

"We are totally opposed to the closure of any kindergarten. We believe in early childhood education so that is why we are here to try and help," said Kerry Johnstone, chairman for the Wanganui Kindergarten Association. "It was like a breath of fresh air," said one parent at the meeting. "People were almost delirious with relief." Waiouru parents fought hard to retain two kindergartens on rolls of 30 children in each session

(30/30). The Army helped them by obtaining forecasts of the numbers of preschool children who would live in the area. On paper there were 140 children for the start of 1993, 20 over the number required for full 30/30 rolls at both kindergartens. The Ruahine Kindergarten Association were unconvinced that enough of these children would attend and voted against trialing two kindergartens. Instead they chose to increase the roll of the

Weir Tce Kindergarten to 45 per session thereby guaranteeing full rolls, longer waiting lists and increasing the profitability under the bulk funding system. In a last-minute bid to stop the closure of their kindergarten, committee members approached the Wanganui Kindergarten Association. Four representatives came to Waiouru to explain to the community the philosophies and operation of their association.

"We believe we can sustain two kindergartens with two teachers in each," said Mr Johnstone. He demonstrated this with figures based on achieving only 80 per cent of the 120 children required to fill both rolls. "There are a lot of issues to work through but I don't see them as insurmountable. The Ruahine Association's move to close the second kindergarten fitted their policy not to allow cross subsidization beTurn to page 2

Kindergarten From page 1 tween kindergartens. The Wanganui association takes the opposite view. All funds are pooled, allowing kindergartens in less affluent areas to be subsidized by the others. "On paper some are operating on overdraft within the Association but there is no problem with this. We are not going to penalise anyone who cannot keep their head above water." The Association is also firmly against 45/45 rolls. "Forty five rolls do not provide quality education," said Mrs Osmond, secretary for the association. The Wanganui Association presently administers 12 kindergartens; four have 30/30 rolls, the rest are 40/40.