THE AGRICULTURAL ASPECT OF PRIMARY EUUCATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14416, 5 July 1907, Page 11

THE AGRICULTURAL ASPECT OF PRIMARY EUUCATION.

'A i<ecent issue of the " Agricultural •fßatsetbe" of New South Wales. contains the-report of a speech delivered by Mr H. W. Potts, principal of the H?.wkesbury .Agricultural College, on 'the above subject. Mr Potts said:— I With the return of good we '•hear the oft-repeated cry " Back to the [coil.". In response, wo desire to aim (at arousing a popular movement in eetjtling an intelligent, healthy and trauiUd body "of citizens on those vast unj tilled areas of land available in our fcitate, to raise rural avecationa from a <x»nditiou of comparative drudgery to jthit of sturdy independence. ■ It is a laudable ambition to stimulate and advance the true destiny of this great agricultural- and pastoral _ country on ©conomw and sound principles by rescuing the land ' from ite existing and *bao6t idl* condition through a forward and fixed policv of occupation. V\ e Umjoy 9. climate full of limitless advan. jtageft. Such useful adjuncts to gcod farming as our soils, timbers,'water aud natural grasses are essential to the'success of closer settlement. The British ihave a world-wide reputation as colo--[nisei*, through their courage, perseIweranee, self-reliance and resoiircoful!hees. but the demands of an advanced civilisation insists as woll on sound ]technical training. The great want in our. rising generation is that of some 'stimulating bias towards the land("Until quite recently our national tijejtem of education developed a love for the clerical and academic side or life. (Happily this its being altered, and m Uuoh manner as to admirably fit m. with our Australian life. The necessary I elasticity given in the curricula of our I public schools affords our teachers excellent ecope to accomplish this. In go far as our rural pursuits are affected, I may be permitted to congratulate you gentlemen present en your earnestness in being her© to take a share in the work of developing and directing the urns and thoughts of our country population towards that moist independent 'and progressive of all pursuits— : ' A life on the land."

I To instil a regard for country work 'kit that impressionable period in our /primary schools, to arouse an affection ifor nature and nature's products, to I unfold a. world of endless attractions, lis a duty we are facing with. tho counitry child. '.lt is asserted, and with. Isqmc sense of truth, that education is ■more highly prized by children and par!«nts in the cities and urban districts. !The eambnees of the defunct curncuilum for all sorts and conditions of ! pupils was largely responsible. _ The trend of it was to excite a desire for ,*ba avocations and excitement of city 3ife, and depreciate the sympathy for 'rural environment. One writer tersely 'describes it as, "The child lives iu one world and goes to school in another. The new curriculum should alter this, Wd> it augural well for. its success to •jwfce. the practical interest you are taking: in. its adoption. Many -problems «.ro ahead of us, but, with tihe iniited experience of those whose association with country conditions is appreciated and valuable, wo hope sb teachers to formulate and evolve systematic training in ttio creation of mental powers and faculty in the ch'ild which will end lin improving our national life. FurtheriTnoro,. we. are not likely to forget the !true' responsibility of the teadher in the formation of character. Homo life land-Kshool-education, are more inti|tti(ite!y "brought into close relationship 'in the country in the concerns of every irl&y lifefhaai in the city. U Th© practice of agriculture has changrt'd of late years. It is assuming a more complex character. It is more highly diversified. Machinery is. invading every. branch, and with it applied Science. The successful fiarmers' and pastoraligts of .to-day need specific training, .iswider, k'nowledgo and greater Bk3l'-'ih'an : -tSeir ; less fortunate predecessors. The question to ask is, " When should tihis technical form of eduoation commence?" And we unhesitatingly reply, "In tie primary school." Much, iiowever, depends on the teacher'a personality, enthusiasm, wptitude and initiative.'- "With'our .experience in the finrt Summer School wo found, no lack of such qualifications. In to-niglit's audience similar evidence is apparent. ,The spirit'of the new eduoation is being [absorbed and assimilated. Surely it is a note of enthusiasm when a hundred 'teachers abandon their well-earned Ohristnia» holidays'to qualify and equip fhemselves with the requisite training to; resolutely attack the demands of the new curriculum.

-. Nature study and elementary agriculture are subjects -which must be taught i;i harmonious relationship to system- ■ atieally encourage the habit of accurate observation —to vitalise the mental and jieasoning powers of the child. All animate,nature appeals to children when directed to it in a sympathetic end attractive form. By this early awakening we stimulate and bring into existence the child's love for country life and its avocations. Shakespeare remind* us there are '-'tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.'' In your hands lies the power to create a. lasting public sentiment and respect for farming operations, and thus become an unseen influence in our national prosperity. Professor C. Lloyd Morgan, the principal of University College, Bristol, 'abated in a recent paper on '; Nature study In Elementary Education' : "I. am too fully convinced of the su■pT©me importance of training the faculties of observation and the habit of sensory alertness in tile early .plastic end impressionable period of childhood —I hold so strongly the belief in the desirability of cultivating the sensory memory and storing the mind with faithful images of natural objects and eoenes_that I am disposed, to claim for a&ture study a foremost place m the ioarly stages of the education of all.' .What are we to understand by nature 'study? " A process by which f»ng»* natural objects acquire meaning. We »»T assuredly assume that nature study is : the outcome of object teaching, the gradual growth of mental faculty, and She displacement of the old and detestable, mechanical memory method. It ' JBiTCCt* a child's mind towards the importance of the instructive love and itudv of nature. The principle of utility la effectually insinuated at this stage, 3nd lends strength to a subsequent feel»mr of contentment with outfloor studies and pxirsuite. k&M *nd purposes of a nature■tudy, course will be _ brought closely tinder your observation during the oericd U this Summer School by our Mr Muwson, who has with strenuous aevoilon spent a lifetime in the sucfcewfnl quest of educational ideafa from a point of view.. .Nature •tody ihotdd'not be associated with the svstematio teaching of agriculture be-, yond -Khe understanding of basic facts and principles of an elementary character. These govern and control agriculture. Subjects may be selected tor 'Batnre study which have direct bearing on the evoTv-day life and occupaliiopa of a farmer. Fruit .trees, vegetables, food plants, the injurious or ; beneficial inseeta and birda, the dofcntstio animals? the seasons, can all be jiflrawn upon. Bailey states "Every ••übject m which, men are interested ■•an be put into pedagogic form, and be a means of training the mind." I Aa our country schools become better Jorganised greater opportunities will be available to increase ttie subjects. ITnoss/must be so designed; and selected as ■■ to exert an influence in advancing our -'agriculture. So'much has been ,'added of late years to our knowledge :of th« cbemißtry and' physics of the ■oil, farm engineering, tih© improvements in food plants and Kve stock, that innumerable subjects can be se[cured for school work and training. i The school garden and orchard afiimSa «ft sxceQeub medium fos ascites

a child's interest and arousing the faculty of observation. Many phases in rural pursuits will become pregnant with meaningful reflections, and even ond in acquiring monetary influence. | Take as a subject th© familiar daily article of diet—milk. A school lesson disclosing its composition and physical characteristics, its functions as a food, its value as a commercial product in the form of milk, cream, skim milk, whoy, butter, or choose, the estimation, of fat in milk and the cause of changes in its competition, renders the daily work in the dairy attractive and provides an endless theme fox intelligent research. It is not . desirable or intended to teach the various operations associated with agriculture in our public schools. The aim; :a to interest the child in subjects ' intimately connected with daily home and farm life, to direct the child's mind, to them attractively, to lay the foundation of future training either on the farm or in the agricultural college, to unfold natural science and demonstrate its usefulness in ite later application to the land, to supersede the distasteful and wearisome-, burdens of antiquated methods on the farm The affairs of common life are now so intermixed with applied science that our teachers in country schools should in the best interests "of their pupils be in constant and' practical sympathy with this form of teaching. During your residence her© you will be afforded the opportunity of inspecting and reading if desired the most suitable books relating to nature study, agriculture, and. allied subjects. Tho establishment of a library in each country school may wisely occupy vour attention. A sensible' selection of books will assist in the movement we are endeavouring to advance through you. This should include the "' Farmer's and Fruitgrower's Guide," afco the monthly issue of the New South Walesi '"'Agricultural Gazette/' and several ether Departmental publications. I may also add that the country schoolmaster invariably exerts an influence in the purchase of books for the local School of Arte. In this ho can lend influential assistance. Less fiction and a more progressive class of farm literature would as a result adorn the bookshelves of those useful institutions'.

Stock-raising and wool are leading features in Occupying land, and in this there is *eopo far elementary training. A study of the domestic animal and how it affects man may well bo taken up. A child should possess seme ideal ats to the merits of a thoroughbred in contrast -with the average nondescript. As an incentive to the study of animals, the local Agricultural Society's annual show affords an excellent opportunity, and in fact facilities, are now offered at shows for object lessons. The children might be encouraged to take an active interest in providing exhibits, and the best sonfc to tho Royal Show- in Sydney. 'The school r.nyseum might bo provided with the best examples of grain, and ether produce from the district. Teachers will find enough material at the college lectures and demonstrations from which to work up entertaining and instructive lessons. The lesthetic surroundings of school and farm may be enhanced by the planting of shade and shelter belts of trees and hedges. Probably the most , entertaining and effective introduction to tho teaching of natural science is physiography, wherein observation plays the leading part.- Huxley wrote:—" The attempt to convey scientific conceptions without the appeal to observation, which can only give such conception firmness and reality, appears) to me to be in direct antagonism to the fundamental principles of scientific education." In conclusion, gentlemen, let me state that there is nothing new in-the proposal to assimilate primary with elementary education, in agriculture. Such instruction has been given for years past in the primary swiioolis of France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Alabama, where it has promoted industrial wealth. There is unlimited scope in our own State for its application. The official curriculum is now arranged to admit it, and it remains now with, you to give substantial effect to the new policy. Mr True, the head of the Experiment Stations in the States, writes:—"The education which tho farmer needs ie that which will give him some real appreciation of the • progressive and scientific spirit of the ago in which ho lives, will arouse a keen interest in the facts and principles of science as related to his own vocation, will show him that in agriculture is an ample • opportunity for lifelong studies which may refresh and delight the mind, as well as minister to material success, and in general will lift agricultural practice out of drudgery into the domain of intelligent and hopeful labour." This is our hope in Australia. Occasionally we hear disparaging remarks as to the lack of appreciation of modern methods by our farmers, their narrow conservatism and iridiffea-ence, but such are wrong. All honour is due to.our pioneers who have suffered isolation, who with stout hearts, industry, and extraordinary patience, have bravely made homes' under the most adverse and discouraging circumstances. The dull routine of the untrained farmer must ceaeo with his generation. It is our duty to see tluat his children are not deprived of refinement and culture, and are given that conception of advanced ideals which education alone can convey.