Agriculture ‘Dumping Ground’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30840, 27 August 1965, Page 3

Agriculture ‘Dumping Ground’

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 26. Degradation of agriculture as a secondary school subject had resulted in it being used as “a dumping ground for students with low LQ.s,” the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association conference was told today by Mr R. B. Fordyce, of K u r a n u i College, Greytown.

Mr Fordyce, on behalf of the Wairarapa region, successfully presented a remit calling for the association to press for the inclusion of agriculture as a university entrance examination subject. Agriculture was removed from the list of university entrance subjects in 1943. Mr Fordyce said the fifth form represented the limit for a boy taking agriculture. If he came back for the sixth form he would have to drop agriculture. As technical drawing was in the university entrance syllabus, technical students had the opportunity to proceed to “higher things.” Likewise, professional agriculturists who took scientific courses were catered for Mr Fordyce said agriculture was an art as well as a science If the present situation was allowed to continue, agriculture would be directed by a scientific heirachy and operated by agricultural serfs. This would not be in its best interests. Mr Fordyce said his region

was asking for inclusion of agriculture as a subject rather than a course. If agriculture was included in the university entrance examination, teachers would gain an extra year to widen the knowledge of those pupils in other subjects. At present, there were only two schools in the country catering for sixth form agricultural students.

The remit was passed by 46 votes to 40. Between 15 and 40 per cent of New Zealand third form pupils had a reading age below the U-year-level when they arrive at post-primary schools, the conference was told. Conference speakers drew attention to the problem facing post-primary schools in trying to cope with children

seriously retarded in their reading. Teachers from throughout the Dominion reported that from between one in six to one in three third form pupils had a reading age of below 11.

The conference decided to request urgent help with, and consideration for, the problem from the Education Department. In particular, the teachers want more liberal staffing allowances, more materials, and more expert help for children retarded in reading.