NOT EVERYTHING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 13

NOT EVERYTHING

ACIRICULTUEAL BIAS

THE SCHOOLS' NEEDS

The desirability of'giving the secondary- school education more of an agricultural bias, as advocated by tho Minister of Education^ was criticised by Mr. G. W. 'Moriec in his presidential address this morning to the Secondary. Schools Assistants^ Association.- He suggested that in making public his idea .the Minister was inviting criticism. " RISKS TO PRIMARY-. INDUSTRY. "The Minister lias stated, on frequent occasions, his belief that the giving to our system-of an .agricultural bias will, in the long run, euro unemployment in this country. With this conclusion I, for one, do not agree, said Mr. Moriec. "Wo all recognise— and many, presumably, regret—the present complete, dependence of Now Zealand on the primary industries. This dependence gives .rise to the danger that circumstances entirely beyond our own control' may strike a deadly blow at our prosperity. Where would Now Zealand stand if science produces a satisfactory substitute for., wool, or if Russia—already producing ten tines as much cheese and five times as mueli butter as New Zealand—floods our markets with cheap dairy produce? These arc distinct possibilities, and Lord Birkenhead has recently stated his belief that in th # c not distant future science will have achieved the synthetic, preparation of food. Where then our Canterbury lamb? i. "We recognise, too, that i): New Zealand is to retain her markets for primary products, agricultural education will become more and more necessary, for the most Scientific and economical methods must be widely known and adopted. This type of education is not, ndwever, for the primary school, nor yet for the secondary except insofar as a firm foundation can be laid by a general course iii science, and some elementary principles taught in special agricultural,, classes. Experience has shown that for reasons more or less obvious there is little demand for these agricultural courses even where thoy are available, and if the' authorities bclidvo that more; of our pupils- should take lip agricultural pursuits, a start must be made in some other way than by giving a smattering of agriculture in the existing schools. • ' ■■ WHAT THE SCHOOLS CAN DO. "Probably the best that the schools can do' is to cultivate amongst tho pupils, and thus in the community generally,'an intelligent and sympathetic attitude towards the great primary industries, upon, which our very life at present depends. It is safe to ,pi'edict, however, that a-properly sympathetic attitude will not come till a vigorous policy of land settlement has burst up many of the present huge estates, and given to the thousands of'our young men who are waiting for it an opportunity to make homes and comfortable livings for th'omselves. ' .

"Another factor tending to produce an unsyrnpathetie attitude towards the farming community is that some of them seem to believe that because over 90 per cent, of New. Zealand exports consist of farm products, the farmers themselves do over 90 per cent, of the •production in New Zealand. When it is remembered' that the process of production is, not complete till- tlie goods reach the consumer or the market, jt is perfectly clear that a very largo proportion of the population' in Now Zealand is engaged in what may truly be called primary, production. The schools arc probably largely to blame in not producing a 'more intelligent appreciation, of the process of production. ' .' "The Minister has stated that our educational 'system is out of touch with the life and needs of the community. In this ho is undoubtedly right, but it is surely as important to give it a technical bias as an agricultural. There is room .for only a limited number of farmers in New Zealand, but there is room for an almost ' unlimited number of secondary industries the promotion of which will.buildup a home market for our primary products, and render. ns less dependent upon oversea conditions. New Zealand possesses vast - resources of po.weranclraw material, and should bo,- to a very largo extent, self-sup-porting and independent. If the people generally follow the wise advice of our late Governor-General to buy New Zealand-made goods in preference to imported, much will be done to minimise unemployment, and at the same tame produce a better, balance between the primary and the 'secondary industries. It seems to me that- in any changes in "our educational system this objective should be kept in view.!- 5