The American Nursery School Movement in the 1920s: The Activities of the National Committee on Nursery Schools

Abstract

　The purpose of this paper is to clarify activities of the National Committee on Nursery Schools (NCNS, 1927-1931) in the United States of America during the 1920s through an analysis of its conference reports of nursery school workers, publications such as “Minimum Essentials for Nursery School Education”and magazines, “Childhood Education”and “School Life.”

　Concerned with the proliferation of various types of nursery schools despite the lack of standards during the 1920s, Patty Smith Hill founded NCNS in 1927. NCNS was charged with three responsibilities: (1) to plan conferences necessary for the progress and improvement of nursery schools; (2) to make public the activities of NCNS; and (3)to hold a meeting of the Committee for a reconsideration of its plan of organization. Hill sought to build a nursery school fitted to American educational needs. NCNS gave higher priority to proving the value of nursery education scientifically, compared to Englandʼs incorporation of nursery schools into the public school system.

　NCNS called national conferences of nursery school workers. The purpose of these conferences was to provide a forum for the exchange of different practices given in various types of nursery schools and to secure the input of various specialists indifferent fields related to nursery school education. Participants discussed pertinent problems of nursery school education, such as training of nursery school teachers, parent education, play activities, etc. NCNS also published “Minimum Essentials on Nursery School Education (1929),”which helped to define and safeguard nursery school education. Certain standards were formulated in relation to children enrolled, personnel of staff, program of activities, facility set up, and records. The activity to secure the quality of nursery school education led by a nonprofit association like NCNS was a characteristic of the American Nursery School Movement.This activity influenced the “Day Nursery Manual (1931),” issued by the National Federation of Day Nurseries.