Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1914-04-09


mittee upon the establishment of
kindergarten, made to the Board o
Education, and published in las
| weeks papers, as one of those win
are asking the adoption of this fsa
ture, l beg to be allowed the privileg
of commenting upon the conclusion
reached therein.
First, l may say that it Is pleasin,
to note that the entire Committee be
lieves in the value of the Kindergar
ten idea, and that all its members ar
impressed with its principles ant
idealo to such an extent that they
deem it necessary to the excellence
and completeness of the whole sys
tenn" This is high praise and upon
rrese points 1 am in full accord with
the Committee.
Upon the question of cost, however
| can not agree with it's findings.
Let me say at the outset, If the
system should cost the huge sum
named by the Committee, l should be
e,rmly opposed to it's Introduction and
would be as resolute in effort to
combat it as the Committee seems to
be.
The Committee has estimated the
employment of four teachers, and
the purchase of four sets of equip
ment to subserve the needs of ~
pupils cut Of a total calculated Kin
dergarten eligibility of 291.
No prepayment of the Kindergarten,
so far as know, had any idea OF
asking for the establishment of such
an immense totality
ALI we had in mind was one teach
err, with one set of apparatus, and
one room in which to work.
Now the Committee judges that 81
Kindergartners will cost the District
s4345.OO or an average of $54.So
apiece, per year.
Is this a reasonable deduction? l
think not. In the first place l am
of the opinion that not more than
twenty or thirty pupils would at
tend the sessions. However, if the
Committee desires to know accurately
what the attendance would be in re-
ality lit may learn by requesting the
parents of children who would at
tend to register their names with
the Superintendent of Schools. This
would be a far more exact method
than that of estimating the probable
Kindergarten attendance as being APP
rroimxately the same as the first
primary enrolment.
kindergarten sessions are not more
than two, or at most, three hours In
length. One session day for one
child lis enough. The Committee linn
its the capacity of one teacher to
twenty pupils. If this be true, and
[ believe 20 to be fair number, one
teacher could hold one session In
the morning, say from 900 A. M. to
HOO A. M. on the West Side, and
,Ya in the afternoon say from 2.OO
P. M. to 400 P. M. ON the East Side
n vice versa and thus one teacher
,culd teach 40 pupils, which would
,ut the estimate of the COMMITTEES In
wo, or reduce it from $4345.OO to
;2172.50.
May not the estimate of total cost
e still farther reduced? For instance
re cost of Kindergarten chairs Is
liven at 100 apiece and yet Pay
tie furniture house will place the I
cry best chairs within the school +
DOM for IS cents. Tables are est I
lated at $4,000 but without doubt i
smaller number than twenty tables T
ould be used, and better price
Guild be obtained. C
We have inaugurated and we MAIN e
lin, rightfully and beneficially 8
elieve, expensive manual training
nd domestic science departments. n
Thy could not the manual training d
apartment make and supply the
eeded chairs and tables. 1t is done
why not here? l am sure
lat any parent would buy the little
lair necessary for-his child to sit
/, or even furnish table or two In
10 event that the Board were finan-
ally unable to procure them.
1t Is stated that Kindergarten ma
rails for one year would cost $780,
for 80 pupils or an average of SO.
r one pupil. l believe that it can
shown that in the first and Sc
nd grades there has not been AL
wed greater sum than $1.00 per
ar for each pupil, for a number of
airs, and l see NO reason why the
st per T9pn per year for Kinder
rten children should greatly ex-
ed that for first or second primary
ade pupils.
The item of rent, fuel and care