FARM EDUCATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 91, 18 April 1945, Page 7

FARM EDUCATION

PROPOSAL FOR NELSON

O.C. NELSON, April 17. The opinion that five agricultural schools would provide for the present needs of the whole of New Zealand in agricultural education, was expressed by Dr. C. E. Beeby, Director of Education, in a talk to the Nelson Education Board, The board had previously requested the Department to consider the establishment of an agricultural school in the Nelson district.

The experience of the Department in other centres had indicated that parents were not very anxious for their children, particularly the brighter ones, to take agricultural courses, said Dr. Beeby. People had not in general patronised the facilities which had been offered. There were only two real agricultural schools in the Dominion today—those at Feilding and Rangiora. He was inclined to think that five such schools would cover,the needs of the whole of New Zealand.

An educational survey had shown that in recent years there had been a steady tendency away from the "white-collar" jobs, but not towards the farms. This indifference to agriculture in a country like New Zealand was recognised as regrettable but, unfortunately, the remedy lay not within the educational system as much as the social system. Country life, he said, would have to be made culturally as well as economically attractive. Towards that end the Country Library Service and community centres, such as that established at Feilding, were making most valuable contributions.

The director suggested that if the Nelson board wished to establish an agricultural high school at Takaka, in the Golden Bay district, a complete survey of the proposal should be made and submitted to the Department. If the board could get any real indication that there would be a genuine demand for such a school the proposal would be most symypthetically considered.