FARM TRAINING OF YOUTHS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27075, 25 June 1953, Page 6

FARM TRAINING OF YOUTHS

Canterbury Advisory Council’s Scheme TOWN BOYS TO RECEIVE PREFERENCE To make clear the purpose of the Canterbury Youth Farm Advisory Council, a motion that the number of cadets accepted each year be restricted to eight, and that preference in their selection be given to boys who had no other opportunity of becoming farmers, was proposed by Mr G. C. Brooks, District Vocational Guidance Officer, at a meeting of the council yesterday. The motion was carried unanimously. Explaining the reasons for his motion, Mr Brooks said that for some time he had not been altogether happy with the selections the council had made. This was not because the boys were of a low standard, but because they were often farm boys who could have entered farming some other way, and who held a considerable advantage over boys brought up in- a town without a farming background. “Originally, I think, the scheme was designed to help city boys whose parents could not put them on farms and who wished to take up farming,” he said. “All the council is trying to do is show the way—to set something moving. Auckland is now copying us, and there are distinct possibilities that other centres will start something of this kind.” Members said they agreed with the idea behind the motion, but objected to the bald definition “city boys.” There should be some dividing line, they claimed. The son of a shopkeeper in a country township could not be called a city boy, nor could he be called a farm boy. “Decided Advantage” “A boy brought up in a farming area has a decided advantage over a city boy. because it is so easy for him to go on to a farm and then be helped by the Young Farmers’ Club scheme,” said Mr Brooks. “I am a little dubious about tying our hands in this way, but I agree that the first consideration should oe given to town boys,” said Mr V. Wilkinson. The system should be to benefit those boys who had no other opportunity to take up farming, said Professor L. W. McCaskill. Mr J F. Moffat, who is headmaster of the Rangiora High School, said that eight boys in a group were considered to be about the maximum. Last year 10 boys had been selected, but if this number was continued there was a danger that the class would become unwieldy. “We have got to make sure we keep their interest alive, and that the class does not become overloaded,” he said. “If we get too many in the class, we may find it difficult to place them on farms,” said Mr Brooks. The following officers were elected: chairman, Mr M. Montgomery; deputychairman, Mr Wilkinson; executive, Professor McCaskill, Messrs M. M. Fleming, Moffat, and Brooks.