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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 78

Air and Light

Air and Light.

He repeated his frequent pleas for more adequate provision of air and light in the dwellings of the people. Our children, he said, were not being taught the things they should be taught and could be taught, in the easiest way in the world. As the kindergarten school in Hanover street was being removed, he need not say anything as to that. He had only seen the place that day. There was not nearly enough air and light there, and air and light were so intensely important that they ought to be the first consideration. And as kindergartens generally, surely the ides of every garden in the world was that it should be in the open air. Children should have space to work in the open fine weather, with a sufficiency of grass and trees near by and heaps of sand and shells. When cover was necessary they could have it. They should word in their own way, always directed by as enthusiastic and benevolent teacher. He had taken the trouble to inquire how many games children here play, and when he contrasted that with the number played in Massachusetts and other parts of America he felt that we in Dunedin ought to be a little ashamed of ourselves in that respect. A young girl who had been suffering from melancholy at Seacliff had spent her earlier days without games. She had no idea of what to do with her off time. When she got home on Saturdays she worked. On Sunday after a week's work and confinement, she went to church all day—a most unfortunate thing for anyone in that position to do. Dr Nisbet would agree with him that cultivation of the soul without cultivation of the body was a bad things— page 71 (Rev. Dr Nisbet: Hear, hear.) He asked this girl is she ever engaged in the make-believe of playing at keeping school, which was one of the pastimes of American children. She said : "I should think not; I did not like it that much." There was a great deal of significance in that Froebel said that school life ought to be entirely interesting. At any rate, in New Zealand it could be made very much more interesting than it was now.—(Hear, hear.) There should either be extensive playgrounds at every school or the children should be taken to some public reserve for play and open-air training and occupation at least two or three times a week. His views might seem impossible or Utopian; but however Utopian they might seem, he, at any rate, confidence that they would be given effect to throughout all the schools of the colony within the next five years.—(Applause.)

[Dr Truby King has supplied us with the following detail in amplification of what he said yesterday at the Free Kindergarten meeting. He considered that, in the case of infants, facilities should be provided for mere play and the simplest games. For older children facilities for a wide range of games should be provided suited to the sex, age, strength and development of the various pupils. Commencing with the simplest associative games, children would work up to complex co-operative games, 6uch as hockey, cricket, football, etc. Dr King contends" that every school should have a proper extensive playground attached, and, where this is impossible, that pupils should be taken to a suitable space for the after-noon twice a week. To provide against wet weather a large rough canopy would be needed. On these two days there would be play, games, and gymnastics organised under the direction of the teachers. In the case of boys, the third afternoon could be devoted to gardening or manual or technical work or to cadet or volunteer exercises. For girls, the third afternoon could be devoted to cooking, sewing, and other domestic or manual work, gardening, etc. As an occasional alternative, particular after-noons could be spent in making excursions to the seaside for bathing, etc. The above would be regarded as a necessary part of the school curriculum, attendance of teachers and pupils being required in the same way as for ordinary school work. For kindergarten, open-air playground attached to school, with, if possible, some grass and trees, as well as gravel or asphalt. Heaps of sand, gravel, and sheila should be provided for children to dig and play with. Other accessories to be supplied were waste ends of wood from saw-mills, etc., also simple appliances for outdoor gymnastics, and rough, open shelter for broken weather. Every incentive to be given to teach in the open air and sunlight, and children to be encouraged to play naturally and spontaneously, the teachers giving hints or instructions where needed.]

Mr James Allen, M.H.R., agreed that there was still a great deal to be done for the nationalisation of our education system and in providing recreation grounds, and he thought it behoved all of them who had anything to do with the country's legislation to take to heart what had been said. He was perfectly persuaded that we were not on right lines, and the aid of the man of science was needed to solve the problem. He was quite sure that the Froebel system should be applied to all our schools. Finally, he eulogised the work that was being done by the kindergarten, and expressed the opinion that if the work were taken over by the State it would not be done so well as it was now, unless they secured that constant visitation and sympathy that was shown by the committee of ladies who now visited the schools.

Mr J. F. Arnold, M.H.R., joined with Dr Nisbet in the hope that the kindergarten principles would one day be carried right through the schools to the university. In the past the only persons regarded as qualified to speak on the education question were the experts, limited to teachers and Education Board members, and he welcomed the entrance of the man of science into the arena. It was high time that some new influence was brought to bear on the problem as to the best means of teaching our children. The thanks of the community were due to Dr King for calling attention to this very great question.