AGRICULTURE IN EDUCATION

Hawera Star, Volume L, 15 May 1930, Page 9

AGRICULTURE IN EDUCATION

MINISTER’S ADVOCACY CRITICISED. (By Telegraph-—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 14. The desirability of giving secondary education more of ail agricultural bias, as advocated by Mr H. At more, was criticised bv Mr Morice in his presidential address to the Secondary School Assistants’ Association. Experience had shown, he said, that for reasons more or less obvious there was little demand for agricultural courses, and a start must be made in some other way than giving a smattering of agriculture in the existing schools. Speaking of the unsympathetic attitude towards the farming community, he said some of the farmers seemed to . believe that, because 90 per cent of. [New Zealand’s exports consisted of farm produce, farmers themselves did ever 93: per cent of the production. New Zealand schools were probably largely to blame in not producing a more * intelligent appreciation of _ the process of production. The Minister said the educational system was out iof touch with the needs of the com- } inanity. In this he was- undoubtedly ■ right, but it was surely as important j to. give it a technical bias as an agrii cultural one.