ACT Preschool Governance as a joint venture between Government and a non-government local entity – the Preschool Parent Association.
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1950
In its report to Parliament about the administration of the ACT in 1950 the Department of the Interior had the following to say about Canberra’s Preschool education program:
“The enrolment of Children at the Canberra Nursery School, Acton, on 12 April, 1944, was the culmination of the work and interest in pre-school education by several local organisations and people over a period of years. …
“The opening of the Canberra Nursery School gave a great stimulus to the demand for pre-school education in the Territory. It soon became obvious, however, that it would not be practicable to provide and staff nursery schools to accommodate all the children in the Territory whose parents wished them to have pre-school education. Following up investigations, it was decided to establish pre-school play centres in the residential areas of the city. Children between the ages of 2-5 years attend the Centres from two and a half to three hours on certain days in each week. … The Centres are staffed by trained teachers employed by the Department of the Interior. They are supervised by a Pre-School Officer. Parent co-operation is fundamental to the establishment and operation of a Centre. The first step towards the establishment of a Centre is the formation of a local committee which is registered with the Department of the Interior. The committee assists the Department by organising voluntary help and raising funds for the purchase of equipment.
“The first centre was opened in Dirrawan Gardens Reid in November, 1945. Centres were then opened at Duntroon, Monaro Crescent (Red Hill), Turner (Haig Park), Bannister Gardens (Griffith) and Ainslie (Baker Gardens), in that order, the last three being completed in 1950.”
The formation of local parent body happened before registration with the Department of the Interior; part of the registration criteria called for the parent body to present a copy of their constitution.
1953
A publication, prepared by the News and Information Bureau for the Canberra Nursery School and Pre-School Advisory Committee, was prepared in 1952 – taken largely from a report prepared by Miss Rosamund Combes, the first Pre-School Officer, to promote the preschool scheme. This publication provides a clear picture of how the Pre-school Centre operated – from a departmental point of view. “Before School – The Story of the Canberra Preschool Centres”,. gives a brief description of the process of establishment for each of the preschools in Canberra:
“The procedure followed in establishing a neighbourhood play centre usually has its beginnings in an interested local group of parents. A working committee is set-up, prepared to raise funds and help make equipment. An application for registration, accompanied by a copy of the constitution of the committee, is submitted to the Pre-School Advisory Committee for recommendation to the Department of the Interior. In the development of these services the Pre-School Officer plays an important part in advising the local committees and acting as liaison between the community groups and the Department of the Interior, in the selection of sites, the planning of buildings and play areas, and the designing of equipment.
“The constitution of each local play centre group provides that the group send a representative to the Council of the Canberra Nursery Kindergarten Society. In this way information can be exchanged and matters of general policy discussed, thus providing a valuable link between the Centres.”
Department of the Interior (1952) Before school : the story of the Canberra pre-school centres. Canberra : Produced by the News and Information Bureau for the Canberra Nursery School and Pre-School Advisory Committee, Dept. of the Interior. Available from the National Library Call Number: MCL SCH 2. Location: Petherick Reading Room (Australian Rare or Fragile)
A spirited re-count of the history of Canberra’s Preschools is found in Alan Foskett’s book. ACT education: the formative years 1912-1978 — the evolution of new education systems in Canberra. (Published by the author, Canberra 2000). Where Loma Ruddock concurs with the 1950 Parliamentary Report when she states that “It [Reid Play Centre] proved so popular that the Department of the Interior accepted as policy the need to extend and decentralise the program in cooperation with parents and the Kindergarten Society.” [Italics mine]
1975
In a publication prepared by the Interim A.C.T. Schools Authority. A summary of Preschool education in the ACT influenced the writing of the 1976 Schools Authority Act (repealed)
“INTRODUCTION
“Preschool education in the Australian Capital Territory has been provided by the Australian Government since 1945, for Canberra, and later Jervis and Wreck Bay children, in cooperation with local parent/community groups.”
“1. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
“The Department of Education through various governmental agencies provides and maintains pre-school buildings and playgrounds as well as staffing each pre-school. The design and construction of pre-school buildings is arranged for the Department by the National Capital Development Commission.”
“3. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
“Before pre-school education begins in a neighbourhood, the community is encouraged to form a committee to raise funds for the purchase of equipment. Parent committees are responsible for the provision and maintenance of movable equipment and furnishings. Initially the committee needs to raise $13,000. A committee is formed shortly after the first homes in the neighbourhood are occupied. The Interim Schools Authority provides basic equipment on loan when newly established committees appear unlikely to reach financial targets.
“Parent committees are responsible for the insurance of the equipment against loss or theft and for the cleaning of the pre-school. A mothers’ roster is arranged by the Parent’s Committee at each pre-school to assist the teacher in, for example, the preparation and serving of fruit.
To assist parent committees in meeting their responsibilities each committee sets a fee payable each term by children enrolled at a pre-school. The fee charged varies amongst committees.”
Interim A.C.T. Schools Authority (1975) Preschool education, A.C.T. and Jervis Bay Territory / Interim A.C.T. Schools Authority. Woden, A.C.T. : The Authority. Available at the National Library. Call Number: Nq 372.2109947 AUS. Location: Main Reading Room (Australian Collection)
Questions
Why was “the community encouraged to form a committee” – when they “need to raise $13,000” which is a “financial target”. Since when do encouraged parent committees have to reach a financial target? – When that target is set for them as their component of a joint venture?
What would happen if they decided not to form a committee and refused to raise the money?
Why does the Interim Schools Authority provide basic equipment “on loan” when “newly established committees appear unlikely to reach financial targets” ?
1976
From a historical perspective these same references, between government schools and preschools, read in a similar fashion in the Schools Authority Act 1976 (repealed)
Where the Government required the capacity to open preschools as they provided the teacher and the building. Hence they must be ‘put’ under some authority – somewhere within the system?
Part 2 Establishment, functions and powers of schools authority
Section 5
6 Functions of authority
(1) The functions of the authority are—
(a) to establish and conduct [italics mine] in the ACT, on behalf of the Territory—
(i) preschools, primary schools, high schools and secondary colleges;
The 1975 report outlined clearly the limit of the Schools Authority – providing and maintaining buildings and staff. The rest of the Preschool education provision was up to the local parent Association. This is corroborated by the limitation of the School Board – where it “does not include a reference to a preschool”
Part 7 School boards
36 Interpretation for pt 7
(3) A reference in this part to a school does not include a reference to a preschool referred to in section 6 (1) (a) (i).
Which is corroborated by the definition for a full-time student:
(1) full-time student means a student who is attending classes at a school during a total period of class time that is not less than 12 hours per week.
At that point Preschools were operating for 10.5 hours.
The aspect of Preschool governance was covered in the following:
Part 8 Parent participation in preschools
50 Authority to take steps to facilitate parent participation in conduct of preschools
The authority shall, in the exercise of its functions in relation to a preschool, take the steps that are necessary to encourage, and afford adequate opportunities for, parents of children attending the preschool to participate in the conduct of that preschool. [italics mine]
We see the same words as in the 1975 report.
“Before pre-school education begins in a neighbourhood, the community is encouraged to form a committee to raise funds for the purchase of equipment. Parent committees are responsible for the provision and maintenance of movable equipment and furnishings. Initially the committee needs to raise $13,000. A committee is formed shortly after the first homes in the neighbourhood are occupied. The Interim Schools Authority provides basic equipment on loan when newly established committees appear unlikely to reach financial targets.
“Parent committees are responsible for the insurance of the equipment against loss or theft and for the cleaning of the pre-school. A mothers’ roster is arranged by the Parent’s Committee at each pre-school to assist the teacher in, for example, the preparation and serving of fruit.” [Italics mine]
I think there is sufficient evidence towards the fact the Preschools are, and have always been, a joint venture.
Shortly I will have photocopies of reports and papers stemming from C.S. Daley, in his capacity as the Secretary of the Federal Capital Commission. These pertain to the formation of the Preschool Advisory Committee and the report from Gladys Pendred that was the formation of the unique decentralized governance of A.C.T. Preschool education.
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