CONFERENCE WANTED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 22, 21 October 1937, Page 8

CONFERENCE WANTED

Wairarapa Agricultural Club’s Request

EDUCATION BOARD’S SUPPORT A request from the Wairarapa Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs for a conference in February for the purpose of stimulating greater interest in the work, received support at the monthly meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday. The proposal was that officials of the clubs should meet representatives of the Education Department and the Wellington board, agricultural instructors, teachers in charge of all schools, and others in the district who were interested. The movement, it was stated, needed to be revitalised, and there should be some definition of the duties of those associated with it. The motion to approach the department was moved by Mr. A. Donald. Mr. C. H. Nicholls said the work of arranging the conference should not be thrust upon the secretary, who was a very busy man, particularly in January and February. Assistance to the local people was as far as the board should go. “Are there calf cluba in the Manavatu?” he asked. “We do not hear much about them. It is questionable whether we should ask the teachers to attend the conference and disorganise the schools.”

Mr. W. R. Nicol said the request was probably the outcome of the recent conference of technical schools, when the Minister of Education appealed for greater interest in agricultural clubs. The Wairarapa people appeared anxious to stimulate interest in the smaller schools. Mr. Donald said that Masterton had never taken much interest, despite the efforts of the Wairarapa organisation. “Eketahuna ha ß possibly shown greater interest than any other centre,” he said. “The only question is whether we can allow the whole of our teachers to attend such a conference. A representation of teachers from each district should be sufficient.”