The Free Kindergarten movement in New Zealand had its beginnings in Dunedin in 1889. It had its origins in a "thought". The Rev D Wardell, passing up and down Walker Street, longed in some way to help the waifs and strays who played in somewhat unsanitary conditions in that neighbourhood. He mentioned the matter to a Mr Mark Cohen, who said "why not a free kindergarten?" Bishop Suter lent weight to the idea by addressing a public meeting on 4 March 1889 in the Dunedin Town Hall, telling of visits he had made to free kindergartens in San Francisco.
At a second public meeting on 2 May 1889 the Dunedin Association was formed to establish kindergartens free to any child of any race or creed.
This was followed by the first kindergarten opening on 10 June 1889 in the Walker Street Mission Hall.
In 1905 Miss Mary Richmond began rousing interest in Wellington, and the first free kindergarten opened there in 1906.
In 1908 Auckland formed an Association to train students and establish free kindergartens. Christchurch followed in 1911.
Due to Miss Richmond's efforts the government agreed, in 1909, to recognise free kindergartens, inspect them and to all recognised kindergartens, give a capitation grant of two pounds based on average attendance, provided an equal sum of money was raised locally.
At a meeting in Dunedin in 1912, attended by delegates from the four main centres, a move was made to form a national organisation. Subsequently, in 1913 a New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union (NZFKU) was formed but, with the outbreak of war, did not meet again until 1920.
While all four Associations (Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington & Auckland) had set up their own training centres, awarding diplomas to those students who had satisfactorily passed the two year course, all kindergarten members were united in a desire to train student teachers and at the same time obtain some sort of uniformity. The Union was seen as the best way to attain that goal and, in 1926 it was reconstituted by representatives from the four main centres and Invercargill. A constitution was drawn up and it was decided membership should be open to all Free Kindergarten Associations who were in receipt of a government capitation grant; that meetings be held bi-annually and refresher courses for training centre principals be held in alternate years.
The government withdrew its capitation grant during the depression, but restored it in 1935 and increased it to four pounds per child in 1936, five pounds per child in 1943, plus introducing a one pound for one pound subsidy on buildings and initial equipment. In 1945, 100 grants of 70 pounds per annum were made available for students in training, and in 1946 the first Supervisor of Pre-School Services was appointed. In 1977 this position became known as Officer for Pre-School Education and the first Director of Early Childhood Education, Mr N Leckie, was appointed.
In 1948 the government accepted responsibility for all kindergarten teachers' salaries. By then there were 19 Associations with 72 recognised free kindergartens. The following year government subsidies rose to two pounds for one pound. By 1956 there were 55 Associations operating 175 kindergartens and by 1961 there were 61 Associations operating 205 kindergartens.
In 1965, School Certificate became the minimum qualification for student training. There were 66 Associations with 270 kindergartens.
In 1973, when the Minister of Education opened the Kindergarten Union's Annual General Meeting, he announced that all kindergarten sites would be provided free to Associations by the government, and the building subsidy would be increased to four pounds for one pound. Education Boards were asked to undertake planning, supervision and construction of kindergarten buildings on behalf of Associations. In 1974 an administration grant to Associations was introduced at the rate of $120 per kindergarten per annum and a sessions grant to kindergarten local committees at the rate of $2 per kindergarten per session. The new building code was accepted and from 1975 all kindergarten teachers' training was incorporated into the seven Teachers' Training Colleges.
In 1979 there were 67 Associations administering 511 kindergartens. Sessional grants rose to $3.10 per session and administration grants to $185 per kindergarten.
By 1984 some Associations had amalgamated to streamline processes, and there were then 50 Associations administering 550 kindergartens.
1981 saw the implementation of release time for Senior Head Teachers, while in 1983 the government commenced its policy to lower the child/teacher ratio.
Bulk Funding for kindergartens was first proposed in the Report of The Early Childhood Care and Education Working Group titled "Education to be More" released in 1988.
In that report it was suggested that all early childhood services receive a bulk grant of $3.50 per funded child hour to maintain the existing level of funding available to free kindergartens.
It was noted that a rate of $3.50 would still not incorporate the approved staffing ratio necessary to attain the standard of quality which was considered vital for effective early childhood education.
In December 1988 the Labour Government released its statement of intent for early childhood education, titled "Before Five".
In this document it was stated that bulk-grant funding for early childhood services would be calculated at a level yet to be determined by the Government.
In October 1990 the National Government came to power and on 19 December 1990 they released their Economic & Social Initiative Package which was set to address the issues of funding, structure and regulation of education at all levels. Within this same package, the Hon Ruth Richardson stated "... the further increase in early childhood payments is also terminated" (details taken from the Bulk Funding Education Campaign - Information Package for Associations, prepared by the NZFKU, May 1993).
In December 1991 kindergarten representatives were advised that there would be a two year transitional period in moving to the national average funding rate of $2.86 per child per funded hour.
Associations received their first bulk funding payment, inclusive of all funding except for Senior Teachers' salaries, in March 1992. Until November 1992 those associations employing Senior Teachers received the funding for their salaries directly. From 1 November 1992 all kindergarten expenditure, including Senior Teachers' salaries, was incorporated in each association's bulk funding rate.
Issues such as Bulk Funding and the level levies should be set at were the primary causes for four major Associations breaking away from the NZFKU at the end of 1991. These Associations (Auckland, Wellington, Central North Island, Waikato) reformed as the New Zealand Federation of Free Kindergartens (NZFFK).
Today, Waikato, Central North Island, Wellington and Franklin Associations all belong to the grouping of kindergartens known as the Federation Kindergartens. The Federation does not have a formal membership structure, and formal levies are not charged.
The Auckland Kindergarten Association became independent of any national organisation in 1996-97.
While the split between these two groups was originally a difficult one, all Kindergarten Associations have worked together on many issues over the past few years, and are constantly developing closer relationships.
In 1994 the New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union Inc changed its name to New Zealand Free Kindergarten Associations Inc (NZFKA), after encountering some discomfort to the word "union" in our name, when trying to attract corporate sponsorship.
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