EDUCATIONAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL.

PROPOSED JUNIOR AGRICULTUIIAi. COLLEGIATE SCHOOL.

LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING IN HAWEHA.

A largely attended and representative meeting was held in the Borough Council Chambers on Friday evening to consider and further the project of establishing a Junior Agricultural Collegiate School in Hawera. Mr R. H. Nolan was voted to the chair and briefly introduced Mr F. Pirani/ chairman of the Wanganui Education Board. MR PIRANFS ADDRESS. Mr F. Pirani (chairman of the Wanganui Education Board) said that yesterday he had not the slightest intention of addressing the meeting here that night^as a matter of fact there was enough powder and shot in Hawera without his; troubling the meeting. (Laughter). Yesterday he had travelled 60 miles and attended six school picnics, and that was enough work for anybody. But Mr Dixon and Mr ODea thought thatit would be better if Mr Braik and I himself were to be present to give such ; information as would assist the meeting. He was rather reluctant in coming because a few days ago he had interviewed the Minister for Education about

the proposal before the meeting, and the Minister promised to reconsider the question of the institution they were going to discuss that evening, and-he would not like the impression to get into the minds of the Minister that there was any attempt on his (Mr Pirani's) part in promoting the public meeting, but at the same time, he thought a public meeting was the most effective weapon anybody with a just cause could have under the present system of party government; he did not say it was most effective to Bring poli-i tical influence, but somehow 'Ministers; were more amendable to persuasion by representation from the people, and iii that respect a public meeting of reoresentative men /of some; standing, would have very strong influence in persuading to take the right track. He might refer, in passing/ to the: changes that had token place since he had been a member of the Education Board in regard to the control of" education in the Board's district. The first inspector he remembered was. Mr Bindon, who was a brilliant inspector, but who belonged to the old order of inspectors who looked upon the school as the beginning and the end of the instruction' ot the children; he was succeeded by Dr. Smith, a brilliant educationist of a scientific cast of mind, and although a splendid man in many respects, he thought that gentleman was perhaps too highly scientific for the modern trend of education; then came Mr Gray, a most enthusiastic inspector, a man who did splendid work ami by his enthusiasm began to develop a system of education in this district that has beeiKon the right lines. Following him the Board now had Mr Braik, one w|>o was a whole-hearted Scotchman whose; first consideration was the financial aspect. (Laughter). His hearers may rest assured that when Mr Braik starts on a proposal he sees the end of it, and tb«w may be sure that it is going to be the ngrht thine; for the district. TJnd>r Mr Braik very great development in their system of education, and development on the ri«rht lines-—tbnt was in the direction of s^witifio education— harl taken place. The system of education which the Board was pursuing in this district, despite Ml the drawbacks, all the financial difficulties! and th« hardships in getting, the right men to do the right work, was a system of education which must be for the uplifting of the community, and which must make the right men of their boys nnri the right women of their girls; and if they could do this something to extend the aim of education had been achieved. (Applause). He remembered advocatine: in the House eighteen ,years ago an alteration in the system of training their experts, instead of im.porting them from outside, by sending i them abroad for instruction so that when they returned they would be' able to teach their Boys and girls jn the best manner. He got very little encouragement, and he wonld like m say that so many of their brightest intellects were going abroad to do missionary work in countries who ought to provide their own missionaries, and thus the Dominion was losing the services of j some of its best men. He gave an in-r i stance of: this in Professor Rutherf"i'd, who obtained his training in New Zealand, and he said he could enumerate other instances. The development in this district of technical education— and he called that technical education which binds in a definite direction—had gone on steadily, and the latest development had been that appertaining to agriculture. Anybody who knew anything about New Zealand must know that for a good many years, she must be an agricultural and pastoral country. With their agricultural and pastoral pursuits New Zealand could do more in this direction than any country in the world; if they only trained their young men who were bent on "following agricultural pursuits, then they were going to use their land in the right way and to develop what must be the staple industries of New, Zealand. That .system they had inaugurated had proved so far very successful; the lads showed adaptability and a love of tßeir work, which was a pleasure to everybody who had anything to do with them. To train a boy for agricultural work he mu6t be caught young; they had tried with the old people, and almost in every case they had proved failures; older people either knew too much or had not the time to learn any more. The result was discouraging. They found with the young people that they were willing to acquire practical knowledge and readily adapted themselves to the work. One thing he was pleaded to notice in connection with the agricultural classes was the good behaviour of the students* and the pleasant manner of the instructors, and the farmers and others were amte willing to have the lads and the instructors about their places. The instruction in agricultural pursuits had made manly lhen of their young fel-

lows, and in that alone thesystem of education had benefited the community. He knew of no place in the Dominion that was so well adapted for the school they were trying to get in Hawera, as Hawera itself. It was: a splendid centra for the establishment of an Agricultural Collegiate School, and this fact should be impressed upon the Ministers and the Government when urgina; f.Tip-ir their claims. They had got the facilities for carrying out the worTc without going to a great deal of expense in ourchasing land, etc. )The enthusiasm shown by the instructors and the pupils, and the enthusiasm of the people of the district in the proposal as sliown hy the representative gathering that evening, wouir? Pnsnre that o^ce the school was established.it would he a. very ?reat success. (Applause). In the course of further j-ernarks. Mr pfvnnj s«iV] th^t his experience of the Education Deoartment; was +hat unless a prooosal came from the,"Department itself it was turned down almost immedi-

atfely, and with reference to the Board's proposal to the Department for the school they desired to see established in Hawera/. the Department objected to it oh the ground of the expensive eqnipTrient required. He had since points out to the Minister that the equiptne:it

was here; they had scientific laoorator^ ' that would be sufficient for to come; they had the buildings.ind any additions required would have to B© »"" made to the,.buildings in the ordinary, progress of the technical school woi&";: so altogether the expense in boftnectSofa with the establishment of this Institution would ; be infinitesimal. He understood that ttare were endow^ m the district, the revenue of which, could be diverted to the institution and if properly diverted, wbuldrreliOTe the load on the public .excfceq«er.? The J Minister had promised to reconsider tfck matter and to give it very 7 careful consideration. If they continued the agitation and, showed ;the. Minister that they had the buildings and the facilities here for the establishment ofihe insta- • tution, then the Minister would see that it was only right that the school Bhduld be granted. Mr Pirani, in his concluding remarks, referred to the success of the agricultural dasses. in. the Peilding district, and incidentally mentioned that if they inculcated into young men respect for the dignity s of labor, they « would have a strong force behind the country which would prevent even a: whisper of a strike. If they could do something to promote the knowledge ot the young people and to equip them so that they would be able to take - theii-place in the walks of life then this would be of immense advantage to the comm unity itself. ■ . '„ ,

Mr Braik, Chief Inspector of Schools g jje a most scholarly and impressive address on the educational outlook generally. He prefaced his remarks by mentioning that almost every reputable magazine in England and the United States wast expressing, dissatisfaction with the. present \ systems of education,, and recently Lord Haldane announced his.intention of placing education in England' on* a satisfactory footing He.went on f to point out that what was wanted in;Hawera was not an agricultural; college; that was altogether . too*.costly,,. an institution; and the business side 'of the qnesftoir had to be considered.. Notcould the Agricultural Department fill the wAnti because, they were not .sufficiently "in itouoh with the young minds. With agricultural collog^s,, boys, had 'to be ! sent hundreds ipi miles froiuhome; with an agwculturaLsehook such as VasTproposed, the school came to the boys, and the parents, .were consequently saved a great deal of e^periso; and because of the expense involved he* J could not help saying that agricultural colleges were to some extent class institutions. A university, although he had no doubt Hawera would like to have one, was Out, of the: question. ! In any case their sphere was becoming more and more in the direction of research work and specialisation. But supposing a boy were sent to a university, was there any guarantee that there, would be any adequate return ' for the time and money spent on him ? The head of the Department of Agriculture in Melbourne had told him (Mr ; Braik) that many a. young man who had got his university degrees in agri- > culture had to begin at the beginning when he went oh to the land, because of insufficient capital or of insufficient influence to get nim a position. The reason why an agricultural school would suit this district was that the boys would not slip through their fingers. They would be taken directly out of the general school, given a taste for agriculture, which would establish an affinity for country life which would never break down. Nor -would secondary education be neglected. Some competent person would..--..be. appointed. to-teach Latin, French, mathematics, science, or whatever may be required. If some good coach took, twenty or \ thirty boys in a private, room they , would be prepared for university examinations better than they .were at present being "prepared at most of. the» district high schools, simply because the coach would be able to give his whole attention to them. But at a properly organised school they would get the additonal advantage of, physical training and the society of the school. When a lad left a primary school he like_d to get. rid of the smell of the primary school, and the agricultural, school now advocated would provide a corporate life' and beget a- spirit; which could not come 'into existence any other way. It would provide laboratory work, nature study,' aiid plenty of English literature. • More' than that, such a school would provide instruction for farmers in dairy work,. \ bee-keeping, stock-breeding, and -.''-'or*chard work, and would provide an,op-v portunity as well for young men' on farms to get two or three months',' instruction in the slack season and -then set; the model for. their neighbors. Nor would the girls be overlooked., The Board had already engaged a lady* with excellent qualifications to take up that work in the- %chools. She had excellent qualifications in domestic economy, and had spent four or five years in a secondary school. If such a lady were giVeh absolute charge cf the girls she would exercise a' great influence over them, and in addition to imparting knowledge, would guide their principles at a time when girls most needed guidance and friendship. This was an aspect of education sadlj neglected in New Zealand; not thai he was blaming lady teachers, because . it was impossible under the presei-t A system that they could., give it', any attention. He deprecated the general inclination to get boys' into the Civil service. The service required good men, but those , who had had many years' experience of it did not recommend their sons to enter its ranks.

Failing the Givil service, boys frequently drifted into clerkships, but tbo opportunities, there of rising were very remote. He strongly advised boytr to follow agrictiltural pursuits more than they had been doing. They should discourage the aggregation cf population in towns and encourage the freer, better, and happier country life. So far as^ Mr JR.. A. Browne was con-i cerned, he would just like ib say that" he was a university man who did ex-. tremelv well, and if any of his audiencedesired to know what was in him, just let them tackle him on any questions of science or philosophy. He was » . man of wide outlook and extensivo education—(applause), and it now remained for the people of. South Tariinaki to deal with this agricultural school problem in a satisfactory way/, whether, they would allow their educf? tional system to remain in the vallf/v of dry bones or whether they wouJVI* now take hold of somebody who co\iJ 1 clothe those bones with life and nervo-.iff energy and shake them into livi.-'.g spirits. It remained for the people;? South Taranaki to create ia new er* in the history of education in New Zealand; the privilege and the hon< -r was now offered to them.—(Applause. V In response to an invitation, Mr y'-.: S, Browne briefly addressed the rncy--mg. In his opinion -the non-saccess of past efforts in regard to technical education was the provision of too nu>ry general subjects—a nice patchwork £ \ courses, instead of fewer separate .i"[ distinct ones. The proposed &<.■) :■:•,-. l would provide these separtte and <l '•■••■' tinct courses, and the scholars attpr "- in£ it would therefore have ir.uch >«',+>- ter chances of success in'the differ^-"-* branches of study. His experbnce H;T taught him that it was or-ly by tho adoption ■ of intensive metb-pis of 'istruction such as the new- sehe^o would afford that success rould l-> achieved. To his mind tfco aßricnl— tural course, which was very much -.'>- sired, could be well taken, for iKa boys whom he had had with hiu> in th« past thoroughly enjoyed the worJr, pnd the employers also appreciated 4' tl*& work done by the boys., The ihstx^

Tien could be given with less expense and trouble in Hawera than elsewhere. He was not sure that the Act at present made provision for such a school; hut there was no doubt its estabfasb.- ------' ment would be of very, great beneht to the farmers in the district. Tte instructors would be quite willing to let t£bs do work for the• *«™£»; They might even be employed .iri their factories without any .risk of a five to ten uointe reduction in gradev-and■ m the event of labor troubles then- aid in tS connection could be made invaluable. One factory, ™™&*. h^ already mentioned to him that he tvSuld be willing to run a factory with Dixon mSved: "That this representative meeting expresses regret S the revest of the Wajgnm Education Board, Haw-ona *>™™* High School, and Technical School Stofa junior agricultural oolleeiate Speaking to the motion. Mr Aed what was being done in this district in agricultural instruction. * they knewhe felt sure the Department would grant the request.., If ing adopted the resolution and all the local bodies moved m the same direction this would bring pressure to bear upon the Minister, who would see that the people were in earnest, and beiore lon<* they would see the school established. They should not rest until -their desires were fulfilled. The promoters desired to cater for the boy who is leaving school, and if Jjuch an institution as proposed was established this would meet their wishes, and farmers no doubt would be willing^ to allow their sons to remain at the "higher school a couple of years longer and- specialise in subjects that would he useful to" them on the land. Mr Dixon urged that the proposal wanted -fche support of the town and country, and he believed that once the mstitu- , -tion was popularised, and they had tibout sixty pupils, they could go to -the Department and say they wanted something better. He/ did not think there was any school in New Zealand that had a better chance of being a success than this one, especially in matters agricultural. There was the Moumahaki Farm, and the ment had practically granted them the free use of this farm for the instruction of students. He was sure the movement, if persevered with, must he successful. '■■',-,, •Mr P ODea seconded the motion, and read the following lettei from Mr John Hunt, chairman of the Manaia School Committee, addressed to Messis ODea and Dixon:

Gentlemen.—ln reply to your circular asking my "presence at the meeting on Friday, 19th instl-have •to cay that? my committee do notfavor the schemes. If we are nghßv informed, it is proposed ix> use the revenues'now being derived from the Waimate reserves. The Vavmato ' West County Council have asked out deration that these revenue, should be protected with a view to mittod. ?«<■ will therefore please excuse me aeolinmg to attend. s*f P^L How could the iarmt-io »v. 1 jLlcnemeP By following the example d rfa^ri^>VS ___ j>i +« TC ovri= ncmcultural eauca-

contribute ss. . iirv , o , + i,: s Mr Murdoch moved: ''That this ■meeting urges upon the Government W<4 for portion of the annual and accrued revenue from tke.?du^: tion reserves at. Mokoia; and Manual iv order to assist the district in pro-, vidin^ efficient and practical agricultural" education as well as secondary education." . '.'■ . _ r In speaking to the motion. Mr .Murdoch urrod the benefits that should be derived from the '•establishment of euch a school in so thickly populated a. district as Hawera, arid where the values.of land were fo high. In his opinioiAno district in New Zealand 'was better suited for its operations. Mr Spratt seconded the motion, and declared that such a school would benefit the whole district. ■ ■

V 'Mr Bates moved that the Borough .Council be asked if it will grant tae iuse of. the sections near the Technical for a temporary playground if the school is established. , ..•. Air Whittingtoii seconded the motion ami said lie ''believed the Council .vould support the movement in the best way Winks moved: "That the various local bodies, dairy factories, farmers' unions in South Taranaki, also ike A. and P. Association be requested to move in the direction of urging the Government to make statutory provision for the establishment^ of a ■Junior Agricultural Collegiate School at Hawera." In doing so the speaker said that it was pretty certain that -the various local bodies would be willing to move in that direction. The wealth of New Zealand must depend for many years to come on its produce, and it behoved the people to see that the most scientific methods, were applied to that production. In the es-tablishment-of such a school as suggested the young generate would' be taught much valuable information, and would consequently save an enormous waste of time in learning from experience when they came to conduct their own affairs. Mr R. Dunn, in seconding the resolution, considered the time quite ripe for such an institution. The time was approaching when the boys must be 30 educated as to be able to teach their ■fathers farming; certainly under present conditions the fathers could not teach the boys. Mr Willis moved: "That, recognising, the great yah;- <•- 'rrieultural ami dairying instruct/ • •••. 1 the practical lienefitß to be derived J-.un the services - of a qualified instructor in this district, r -this meeting urges dairy factory com^ to «©nsidsr the desirability of

making a levy of 6d per ton on all cheese manufactured, also a levy xm all sheep shorn, such levy to go towards providing the salary of such instructor, whose services would then be available for farmers and their sons throughout the district." "_/ : In seconding this resolution, Mr Buxton laid stress on the very great importance of the value of agricultural instruction. A short time ago he heard Mr Browne gwe an address and a demonstration at the Auroa school, and he (Mr Buxton) learned more m two hours there than he could have absorbed in two years from books. Such an instructor was invaluable to a district like Taranaki. It was a most difficult matter to get farmers individually to contribute 19 such an instructor, but the suggestion to make a levy on dairy produce through the factory would accomplish the purpose satisfactorily, and the levy would not be felt. T*he rising generation must be taught scientifically, and such a movement should have the support of the whole, countryside. . • .

In a few concluding remarks Mr J Nolan paid a tribute to the value of ; the work being carried on under Mr Browne's direction. He had person- [ ally b,een privileged to observe some sections of it closely, and he felt that very few people in or out of Hawera realised the value of this technical education. He sincerely trusted that the project would receive very strong support, and he felt confident that, knowing the personnel of the Wanganui Education Board, that body once having taken hold of the scheme would never let go till it was an accomplished fact. QUESTIONS. Mr >R. Dunn enquired if any provision would be made for the conveyance of children in the country to the school where there was no railway. Mr Pirani replied that in his district arrangements were made with the coach proprietors to charge so much quarterly. Mr Murdoch asked if any arrangements would be made for billeting students who came from a aistance.

Mr Pirani: That is a question of development. As the school progresses the question of a hostel will have to be considered, and it was all_a matter of expense. Mr Winks: Have you any idea what these endowments are worth ? Mr Pirani replied that he had not, but he understood that £1800 in rents jiad accrued from one of these, and liad accrued from one of these, and about £4000 from all. Speaking on these generally he believed a special commission of enquiry would reveal a state of affairs which would need special legislation to set them on a sound footing.

On the motion of the chairman a hearty vote of thanks wa.<s passed to Messrs Pirani and Braik. Mr Nolan said it had been an intellectual treat to hear both these gentlemen. Mr Pirani, in repl£^said the greatest gratitude he could get would be to find that their wishes * had been complied with by the Department. One or two further points he would like to emphasise. The first, briefly, was in regard to district high schools, - and he did not know of. any institution where there was a large secondary department, where such a class worked successfully with the primary. Another point he wished to emphasise, and it was a good point, was in reference to having a man like Mr Browne in the district. He thought if the Agricultural Department had more men of the calibre of Mr Browne and the other instructors going about the country, more good would result than was done by the dozens of leaflets which were distributed amongst the farmers. He was confident the farmers would derive an immense benefit financially, an well as in other diirections, by having these instructors of the Board in their midst. The Board wanted to increase its staff so that it could give their services freely to the people of the district so that they could improve the conditions of the farm generally., \ , A rote of thanks' to the chairman* concluded an interesting, meeting.