THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1913. THE MONTESSORI SYSTEM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 6 June 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1913. THE MONTESSORI SYSTEM.

■ - «» ■ The HonAJa;^l~AJl e n, who 1« Mia-! wter w Plication well' as of Fi-,; Defence, will require to, be; H'man »f extraordinary capacity 'for! Work if ha is to do jiustice to the i hree j important Departments that are un-i der his control. The Department ;4k ! Education in Itself oould keep Minister fully -employed, ;ahd it 'will only be a qweiftjon of time, «n Mr Allen will thave u selept whether he will devo&e las energies entirely to this Department, or hand .over the portfoio to another.' tt will be nei- ; tiher good for Mr Alton nor the Dominion that he should.continue to hold the three important offices of Finance, Defence and Education. But this is beside the question that we »et out to discuss, During his recent travels, the Minister for Education found time to visit some of the Continental countries and inquire into the education methods adopted there. He has ©ome back impressed with the fiaot that we have much to learn in this Dominion. Be was particularly Struck with the Monteseori kindergarten system adopted at Rome, and he intends -bringing this under the notice »f the head of his Department. ■ It may be interesflng to know that the HonteßSori Bystem haa now been m operation m Itajyfor some yeans, and it been «tt«nded wrth such, extraordinary success that it ig (rapidly finding favour la England and other parts of s■• werld. Indeed, a school in vt&fql £Ba Montessori methods are employed for Hie* teaching of infant haa been fat «tdsienof 3n SydI nay for some lime. , Ufa sfcatent is I ma o| reataakaVa dbmpH«Ay and fi- ( lefty * MS***. The •lfiflren are to&tikr iM wfcat may best

be described as a huge nursery. Here they skip, and play, and roll about at their own sweet will. They are allowed the utmost freedom, and are brought into touch with all the beautiful things that Nature produces. A well-known kindergarten mistress of Sydney, describing a visit to a Montessori 'school near Cromer, in Norfolk (England) says:— "A run from London of four hour h I by express, through primrose-stud-ded fields—for England is out in her primrose garb just n.ow—■ brought me to the p"laco. Nextmorning the children, ranging in ago from three to six, taaie, not •creeping like snails unwilling .to J school,' but skipping and dancing, and eager to begin. Many oanu■and shook hands frankly and politely with Mr Hawker and myself. There was none of the shyness and awkwardness that we are accustomed to associate with children in such ceremonies. Instead, there \..i v open-eyed fearlessness and a natural dignity and courtesy that was very pleasing to see. Evidently these children have no notion of anyone who could entertain any feeling towards them except that of friendship. After the morning ceremony, which is similar to what may he seen in any kindergarten, the children distributed "themselves about the large, beautiful old room, and eagerly began their work. Some took up positions on the floor, others .arranged the small, light, folding tables to suit themselves, and proceeded to spread out their materials, 'A tiny, chubby boy of three seized upon a box of mixed seedspears, beans, corn, etc.—and began to examine and arrange its contents as if his very life depended upon it. Over aud over .again he poured the seeds out'upon the table, examined them closely with the air of a scientist, and 'carefully swept them back again into the box with .. his chubby baby hand. The scene at the Runston Old Hall resembled very much that of the Montessori room at Blackfriars Practice School. Sydney,- except that the children are older and considerably more advanced at the Blackfriars School. Two of the older, children lay on the floor with heels kicking in the air, and worked out addition and subtraction tibles with the help of a long stair. Occasionally during the morning these two boys paused and talked to-each other about their work, and then vent on again. They both used tho long stair in common, and at ho time was there •any sign of quarrelling. Once some flowers on the window sill attract■ed their attention. Thoy went over and examined the flowers, and talked about them for a few minutes, "and decided a disputed point as to whether a. daffodil or a primrose was 'yellowist,' and then hopped back again to work at subtraction tables."