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NURSERY CLASSES
Question:—What is the present position with regard to Nursery Classes ?
Answer:—The present position is that whilst there is a lot to be said in favour
of Nursery classes and something to be said against them, the plain blunt fact is that
Nursery classes have arrived and it certainly looks as if they have come to stay.
In Barking there are 20 Nursery classes at which 631 children attend.
When Nursery classes were first introduced one important reason was said
to be that something must be done for the children whose only playground was
the gutter.
So far as Barking is concerned this state of affairs has passed and we can say
it is passing elsewhere, but there still remains the fact that young children do
require association with other young children, both a little older and a little younger
than themselves, and so long as the Nursery class is a good means of providing
this association so will there then be a real need for Nursery classes.
Oftentimes it is said that children learn more from one another than from
their teachers, and whilst I do not believe this so far as formal education is concerned,
I do believe it to be true so far as the very important things of life are concerned,
things which have to do with human behaviour and our relationship to one another,
and our fellowship with one another.
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