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(e) As a rule a nursery school is a detached unit, often
being a structure of a semi-permanent character, by
which economy is frequently obtained. A nursery class
forms part of an infants' department and follows the lines
of the architectural design of the department.
(f) Nursery schools provide for children from 2-5 years
whereas in nursery classes the age of admission is usually
3-5 years. Important results of training under suitable
conditions between 2 and 3 years have been claimed by
many observers.
A nursery class, then, has no separate existence apart from
the elementary school, while, however, its activities are based
largely on play and social and sense training. The nursery
class sets out to provide all-round care and training for the
under-fives rather than instruction in the old sense. The following
bare essentials stand out for the purpose : —
(i) Adequate and suitable space, indoors and outdoors.
(ii) Adequate and suitable cloakroom, lavatory and washing
accommodation with hot and cold water available.
(iii) The means of preparing and serving a simple midmorning
lunch in a civilised way (milk lunches).
(iv) Beds for use during a rest period (light, collapsible,
low canvas beds with a blanket).
(v) Adequate and suitable play material.
It need hardly be said, then, that the R's have no place in
the routine of the nursery class.
Various Organisations concerned with young children under
five are as follows : —
(1) Infant Welfare Centres of the Local Authority under
the Maternity and Child Welfare Acts.
(2) Day Nurseries which may also be established under the
Maternity and Child Acts, and which take charge of
young children from even a month old to five years,
while the mothers go out to work. Children may also
be admitted when the Medical Officer of Health certifies
the home conditions to be insanitary or unsatisfactory.
(3) Clinics for Toddlers— as now provided by the Council.
(4) Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes— provided under
the Education Act by a Local Education Authority.
The medical supervision given at the clinics cannot be considered
inferior to the medical supervision given, say, in nursery
schools or nursery classes; although, of course, for the debilitated
child attending a nursery school the environment is suitably
tempered, and the skilled supervision of the trained nursery
teacher is not available for the child attending a toddlers'
•clinic.
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