FARM CADET SCHEMES FUTURE DISCUSSED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 15

FARM CADET SCHEMES FUTURE DISCUSSED

An explanation of the new operation of the Canterbury Youth Farm Advisory Council’s cadet training scheme was given by the secretary of the council (Mr M. T. Butterick), at the annual reunion in Christchurch yesterday of cadets trained under the scheme. Previously cadets had spent the first of their four years in the scheme at Rangiora High School. Although the farm work in the afternoon had been satisfactory, there had been some embarrassment in the school work in the mornings, he said. The boys all had different qualifications and there was some difficulty in satisfactorily fitting them into classes. The parents of boys at the school had felt that because of the presence of the cadets, their sons were not getting the full benefit from their schooling. The school board had advised the council that it had found it necessary to withdraw from the scheme. “It does mean that we will have to seek the co-operation of the farmers much more,” said Mr Butterick. Changed System

Where previously a cadet had spent his first year at Rangiora High School, the two next years one farmer and his final year with another farmer, he would now spent} a 'probationary period of one year with a farmer before a further year with that farmer if he proved to Ije satisactory. The last two years would be with a second farmer, Mr Butterick said.

To replace the first year at school, all .the cadets would be required to take a correspondence course.

The scheme .will go on. but it will be th? first year that will be the trouble—farmers are needed, but they must be good farmers approved by the committee, he said.

A former cadet. Mr J. Shuttleworth suggested that there was no real need for the scheme, if the schooling was not going to be included. A city lad could go out on a farm and be guided in his choice by Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln. Later, if he wished, he could study at the college.

“Unles we get something that binds the cadet course together, I can see it going out,” he said.

“I think that the scheme can offer a boy quite a lot,” said Mr Butterick. The college had very little to offer a boy that did not have school certificate. “At the moment the scheme is lacking supervision,” said Mr Butterick. The last year had been a bad time for staff. There had been only two effective officers available during the year but the position was improving. At the present stage the scheme was the victim of a vicious circle. The council could not advertise for boys because of the lack of farmers, and could not Interest farmers because of the uncertain number of boys coming forward.