The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-10

watched, both in the schoolroom, and
as to their influence on the homes.
In the former they have come to love
and respect work; this is plainly seen
as one notices the children while
singing their little songs, about the
| farmer, cooper, carpenter, and while
engaged in the different occupations.
| They are less selfish, more careful
| to respect the rights of others, more
| tender and loving of one another. To
| their home of darkness and sin they
are carrying each day the gentle re-
fining influence gathered in their
| kindergarten home. Here is the tes-
timony of one having some of these
children in charge. "rheir lives
have been set to music, and the hard
looking, and-alas we must say it
hard drinking parents are sOftened by
the tender voices of their children.
Men stay at home from the grog-
shops to hear their four-year- old
babes sing, and teach the older ones
the pretty plays, that speak of ma.
ture, flowers, birds, and the beautiful
in everything"
Another startling yet wonderful
fact as to the far-reaching influence of
the kindergarten is, its prevention of
crime which casts so much of the
shadow over a beautiful world.
Mr.. PiXley tonce a strong opponent
of the system) says: There will be
few criminals from the kindergarten
schools, and the statistics of crimes
will lessen in the circle from which
the kindergarten pupil is drawn" and
the truth of this is illustrated bya
statement given in the "Twelfth An
nual Report of the Golden Gate Kin
dergarten Association" which reads
as follows:
"During twelve years we have had
nearly 5000 children under our care.
The children who were with us in the
early years of our work are now fif-
teen to eighteen years of age. We
have followed these children as closely
as possible since they left us, and after
the most rigid investigation we do not
find our kindergarten children among
the offenders. Their names are not to
be found upon the police records; and
this, too, in the face of the fact that
our schools are located in the districts
where criminals are made"
We have gathered some facts con-
cerning the growth of the work since
the seed was planted by the great
"Child Discoverer. It has spread
from land to land and from ocean to
ocean, far beyond the thoughts OF the
author. "If my ideas are carried out
three hundred years after | am dead"
said Froebel, 81 shall be satisfied"
Just at this time the subject is agi-
tating the minds Of men and women
in these islands; especially is this true
in, 1,,I, t1,o l. hpe
carried on to some extent. There are
at present five free kindergartens in
Honolulu for natives and foreigners,
and it is anticipated starting another
for white children.
1t is hoped that the work will re-
ceive more of an impulse forward by
an increase of teachers and better
kindergarten material.
Since the system has such aIefning
and moralizing effect can we not see
in it much of value for the various
nationalitles in our midst, especially
those so long bound by ignorance, su-
perstitiOn, Incidence, and barbarism
Surely those of us mingling so con-
stantly with the native children in
their school life, must be i'm
pressed with the cramped condition
of their lives, and their unambitious
tendencies. The partial remedy, at
least, lies in early training them to
love and respect work, and of enter
ing into it in systematic manner.
To place before them things which |
their eyes can see, and their hands |
touch, means far more to them than |
years spent in a description of them |
without the things themselves.
Who are to become the future men
and women of this land? The little |
children of today. What can better |
meet their needs than the introduce
tion of such an all-sided system of |
education? Being as sit is the con-
Meeting link between the home and |
the school' may these not develope |
under such influences men and women
whose lives shall bless the nations |
future?
May the day not be far distant when
every school shall have its ''Child's |
Garden" and it's work shop, levers
that tend to uplift humanity.
"The kindergarten is the poetic
child of the Nineteenth Century. Up |
on the head of this growing child the
hand of the century rests most lovin-
ly. To this the hands of men are
turning with the hope that this child
shall bring to both home and school
the blessings of new life"
Wailuku, Maui, 1894.