AGRICULTURE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20543, 11 May 1932, Page 4

AGRICULTURE.

A TRAVELLER'S INVESTIGATIONS. CBv A. VT. G. Lipscomb. H.D.A., H.D.D.) The impressions of Mr A. W. G. Lipscomb daring a recent tour of Europe en the systems of agricultural education in various countries have formed the subject of a series of articles on the Farm Page of The To-day's contribution, the final one, summarises Mr Lipscomb's observations, necessarily in a condensed form: — After visiting seven countries and •ndeavouring to assimilate as much knowledge of agricultural education as was possible in the timo available, one ii forced to the conclusion that, to applaud the system of any one country to the detriment of another, would be a pure fallacy. It is certainly obvious that certain countries are making more strenuous endeavours than others; nevertheless, it must be agreed that -tho subject is of more vital importance in wine nations, and obviously they must meet the problem in a fuller way. It is true, however, that we can all learn from one another. Though I am convinced that our system of agricultural education in New Zealand compares very favourably with that of any other country, yet I feel it would not be inappropriate to offer a few suggestions as to how we might improve on trhat is already being done. Elementary Schools. The elementary school system is ob■vkmsly the foundation of all rural, and, -therefore, all agricultural education. The problems of hours of instruction and quality of teaching are prone to be scute, and must be considered. Where instruction in agriculture is given in rural elementary schools it is usually sonfined to the final years of schooling. A good deal of reference has been tnade at times to the "rural bias" in elementary school education; there are certain arguments for and against it. 'The "rural bias" may range, from a perhaps rather haphazard process of directing the child's attention, in the coarse •Of its lessons, to country life and surroundings, to one of deliberate displacement of general school subjects to make (room for vocational lessons on agriculture. Both extremes are equally uni&esirable. The main virtue of such a via* lies in the commendable fact that *baervational fteulties, much neglected In modern education, should be trained. : It is generally agreed that children «nder the age of thirteen or fourteen Sears are too young to profit by any oeational teaching, but that Nature .study lessons, the keeping of a school jBHU", and the encouragement of chilS&rea to observe their surroundings and ■develop an interest in country life asttist greatly in setting a foundation •for future vocational knowledge. Secondary Schools. Great improvements have taken ■daeo daring the last forty, or fifty year* in general education, and the cause lias been, beyond doubt, the cumulathre effect of imposing compulsory education. But this compulsory, formal, jvhoJe time education' stops, in most jeo&Btries, at about fourteen years of Mftt. It mutt be admitted that this jeeesation of formal schooling bears psqr little relation to a child's capacity iter being educated: on the contrary, «• ages fifteen to eighteen are perhaps the most receptive of intellectual imKost of the nations approve of special. agricultural high schools or secondary aeboole with, an agricultural bias, in switablo rural -districts. For the first mar or two at such schools it is considered that a good general secondary jtqgfatfo", with. some aspects of rural jwork. are most appropriate. Durlag the succeeding years much more anedalisation might be indulged in. To {receive the fall benefit of such a course, it follows then, that a child should Mend at least three to four years at school. i Continuation education is given to jthose already engaged in occupation, jgfffh courses are popular in all countries, «ad generally include some genaval education in addition to the purely ■ subject being' taken. It (Menu to the writer to be a reasonable aoggestion that New Zealand could projttaohr do a little more in the way of aoatinaation classes. A large percentage of the young men of the rural districts that leave school at fourteen (fears of age to take up work on farms Sio not have any further opportunity of ireeeiving instruction in the science and jeriseiples of agriculture. Weekly ieTening classes could be established at ieoavement rural centres, and run for kbc months during each yeaT—say, from Ifaiea to September—winter months finmld be much more suitable than sumsaer. Two very useful subjects that jsould be included in such courses are germ book-keeping 'and farm matheF I propose, aow, to deal briefly with It number of suggestions, evolved partly ja* a result of my observations and partly due to my own convictions.

Apprenticeship, j Apprenticeships, Which are eligible jto boys over thirteen or fourteen years, fast for about two years, and may be nkea in audi branches as agriculture, fa«.j*jriiig stock work, horticulture, pheep, agricultural mechanics, etc Cerp£catea may be awarded at the end ofthat tune. Apprentices learn all the fanetieal operations of their branch of Kody> and receive some theoretical inktraetion aa well. Centres could be set Jjp for one or more seetions of work, torovided there were sufficient applicants for that section. There are many boys ftrbo cannot afford, nor do they desire, » general "all round" agricultural pdaeation, and this scheme may help to fulfil their want. iCfcH>peration of Agricultural Societies and Fanners' Unions. One could not help being struck, when Is *oeh countries as France and Denpnark, with the intense practical inter«Ht and support being given to agriculftanl education and general agricultural welfare by the various agriculozaj organisations. In France a large lumber of schools and colleges are manjtged by private bodies, and practically {all come under the patronage of the JSeeiety of French Agriculturists. Local Mttealtsral bodies, both in France and Sfenmark, organise continuation courses, (apprenticeship courses, rural weeks, sural days, etc. This valuable active pad naancisl assistance assists greatly pa the work of the Government Depart-

ments. Probably, if suggestions were thrown out to our New Zealand organisations of farmers, they may be glad to assist more in the welfare of agricultural education. Correspondence Courses in Agriculture. In certain countries where it is difficult for farmers to attend classes by reason of distance and other factors, correspondence courses in agricultural science have been inaugurated and carried on with success. In parts of New Zealand, farming families are very isolated from civilisation, and many young people in the remote areas would appreciate assistance in the form of correspondence classes. "Follow On" Education. This consists of the rapid popularisation of results of recent research useful to agriculturists. The communication of new results can, however, only be made to those capable of appreciating them, namely, those farmers who have a sufficiently open mind and a fundamental knowledge of science. Stress should always be laid on the probable financial benefit that may possibly be derived from such knowledge. Refresher Courses for Agricultural Instructors and Advisers. Agriculture is a science that grows and spreads from year to year. Eeseareh is constantly bringing further knowledge into being. Further, there are so many diverse branches in the science of agriculture, all equally important and necessary; yet how often do we, as agricultural scientists, feel that our former knowledge is slipping from us, because of the immediate non-necessity for its application! I should like strongly to recommend that, each year, agricultural instructors and advisers, etc., should attend a refresher course for three or four weeks at one or both of our agricultural colleges. Here, they could receive a revision course of study and laboratory work, and also, instruction in new developments of science. Refresher courses, as such, exist in several of the .Continental countries, and are greatly appreciated.