Margot Deidre Klippel: ground-breaking educator

Margot Deidre Klippel: ground-breaking educator

by Tania Tobias

Margot Deidre Israel was born on 21 August 1938 in Auckland, first child of Ida Leah Israel (née Robinson, formerly Robitsky) and Henry Montague Israel. 

Margot was educated at Kohimarama Primary School, St Cuthbert’s College and completed one year of study for a commerce degree at Auckland University. She then left university to work in a bank.

In 1958 Margot married Geoffrey Hugh Klippel. She continued to work at the bank until her daughter, Bronwen, arrived 18 months later. Simon, her son, was born another 14 months later. 

In 1966, Margot returned to Auckland University as a part-time student, completing a BA degree in Education in 1971. Following her graduation Margot was appointed junior lecturer in the Department of Education at Auckland University teaching educational psychology, statistics, and language development. In 1973, Margot took an MA with honours.

She then began research for a PhD on language and cognitive ability. She visited 30 Auckland schools, working with both Maori and Pakeha children. Margot observed toys to be very useful in stimulating intellectual development in young children and at her suggestion a toy-lending system was established in association with public libraries, primary schools, kindergartens and play-centres. This system ensured that suitable toys were available to all children at a reasonable cost. 

Margot also recommended training community workers to carry out home visits when they could encourage parents to provide appropriate toys to give their children more of an advantage at school. Parents would then be able to stimulate intellectual development for their babies with mobiles, pictures, bright colours, and views of their surrounds. Margot’s results showed children who lagged in the ability to organise their visual perceptions were assisted to overcome this handicap by a home-based preschool programme. 

In 1976, she was appointed Director of the New Start Programme at the University Centre for Continuing Education to provide an opportunity for a university education to those adults who had not had that opportunity. The programme she developed to assist mature students to undertake university studies contributed significantly to the University and the general community. Margot volunteered to run the first course in addition to her lecturing and research. Very soon she was planning every aspect of the New Start course, selecting the students and lecturers for a variety of subjects. The course gave rise to a far greater counselling load than expected. Margot was unstinting in her attention to this and spent many hours helping individual students. She also planned both a comprehensive evaluation procedure to follow the progress of the first entrants together with an expanded programme of New Start courses.

Margot was an active member of the New Zealand Psychological Society. She was also a member of WIZO, the Auckland Hebrew Congregation and a teacher at the Auckland Synagogue Hebrew School.

Margot died aged 38, in the prime of her life, leaving two teenage children, her husband Geoff, and many sad family members and friends. That same year, 1977, her daughter Bronwen was Head Prefect at St Cuthbert’s College. 

Rabbi Rackovsky, in his funeral address said, “Margot had a deep thirst for knowledge, with a rare vitality and charm, and outstanding and genuine concern for others. During her last tortured years of life, whilst fighting for physical survival against odds that would have felled a lesser person, she fulfilled the Rabbinic dictum to learn and teach. To be exposed to Margot’s enthusiasm, hope and faith was to be hopelessly hooked on one’s ability to conquer adversity and self-pity.”

In March 1989, nearly 12 years after her death, a ceremony was held at the Auckland University to mark the completion by Margot’s colleagues of work for her doctoral thesis. Margot had commenced writing her thesis having completed and analysed all the data.

At that ceremony the Auckland University Chancellor, Judge Michael Brown, in his moving speech emphasised the living legacy of her work as represented by the New Start programme. He reminded all that, in addition to working on her doctoral research, Margot had conducted the New Start programme as a pilot scheme in its first year and vigorously monitored its progress.

Dr Dorothy Howie, an honorary research fellow in the Education Department, who had assisted in completing Margot’s thesis told the ceremony that Margot’s model in working in a collaborative way together with the support which the University and colleagues had given to the completion of her work was a ‘precious’ example of cooperation.

Dr Barton MacArthur, a senior lecturer in the Education Department who had worked closely with Margot stated, “Margot’s approach to her research was typical of all her work in the University. It was marked by her strength in planning and coordination, and demonstrated her ability to handle complex designs and theories.”

Anne Davis who was Education Officer for New Start, said that the programme format Margot devised then was still largely in place, and was so successful there was no reason to modify it in any substantial way.

In November 2001, Geoffrey Klippel received the attached letter which is a wonderful tribute to Margot and her work.

With many thanks to Tania Tobias of Melbourne, who is Margot’s sister.