AGRICULTURAL COURSE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17270, 11 September 1916, Page 9

AGRICULTURAL COURSE

COMPULSORY CONTINUATION CLASSES. IMPORTANT PROPOSALS. During its sittings in "Wellington tho General Council of Education has devoted considerable attention to the report of a. Recess Committee on the subject of agricultural and industrial education. In issuing an official report on tho subject on Friday night, tho council, while announcing that the report was adopted, said it would bo found that the recommendations of tho council represented a very thorough' dealing with the wholo question, and embodied proposals" which, if adopted by Parliament, should mark a.distinct advance in the two very important phases of education referred to. '' It will bo noted," it is' stated, " that tho recommendations provide for a complete sequence in agricultural and industrial training from the very elementary stages preesnted by Nature study and manual and domestic instruction provided for in tho primary schools to tho most advanced stages of agricultural and technical education required for tho training of exports and instructors in this subject. '' Another valuable feature of the recommendations is tlfe ample provision therein made for the training of school teachers and other instructors, on whose efficiency the whole success of the scheme naturally depend. CONTINUATION CLASSES. "It is also gratifying to find that section 12 of tho recommendations provieds for compulsory attendanco at continuation courses for boys between fourteen and seventeen years. of age. It is possible, even under the present Act for local authorities to bring into operation certain provision for compulsory attendance at continuation classes, and in eight districts in Now Zealand tho local authorities have brought the provisions into operation with a considerable degree of success. It was considered by tho council, however, that it is a great mistake that hoys and girls at tho ago of fourteen should be able to discontinue their education just at the transition period, when their minds and their ideals are most rapidly developing. The Recess Connnitfco on this subject reported to tho council that in other countries wherever continuation classes were widely established, employers found it a, distinct advantage to them that their junior employees should attend continuation classes, even though it involved the granting. of leave for several hours a week during working hours. In some cases firms provido instructors and have fitted up in their own premises the necessary class rooms for the instruction of their junior employees. Even in places where the institution of such classes was at first viewed with misgiving, or was met by opposition, it has ben found that the benefits of the system becomo quickly recognised and receive cordial support from both employers and employees." CHIEF RECOMMENDATIONS. 'Hie main proposals of tho council, based on tho committee's reports, are as under:— (1) That Nature-study and the school garden should be included in tho course or instruction of every primary school, the school garden boing used as the laboratory for simple experiments on, and for observation of, the common facts of plant life. (2) That in every locality, whether at a district high school, technical high school, or high school, there should bo provided an interraodiato agricultural course of two or three years, both theoretical and practical. (This need not injure the general education of the pupils who take it.) (a) That, all district high schools with an average attendance not exceeding seventy should follow exclusively an agricultural or other industrial course.

(8) That for those who have left tho primary school at fourteen years of ago to go to work, there should be courses, if possible during the day, for part of tho year, but, continuing for throe or four years, of similar range and standard, that 's, secondary or intermediate in character. (Note.—Such classes might, be held, say, one day a week or two half-days twice a week for thirty weeks in the year if possible. »;■ if not, then, say, for two days a week for twenty weeks, or five or six days a week for .three or four weeks, in each ease the busiest part of tho year being avoided.) (a) That for those win, have spent at Isn't two years in one of the courses (2 or 3) above, and who are prepared to giv: their whole time for (wo yours longer to instructiov. in agriculture, there should be established in each island a farm school.

(■1) That every male student of a training college should go through a course in agriculture not lower in standard than the intermediate course just referred to. (a) That for male teachers agriculture of the D standard should be a compulsory subject in the C and D certificate examination.

(5) That the Agricultural Department and tho Education Department should co-operate to make ono of the State Experimental Farms (say. Ruakura) a place for tho further training of those who have completed one of the intermediate courses (2), (3). or (4), whether such persons are intending to be teachers or farmers.

((i) That to quality themselves to be efficient teachers of rural schools, exstudonts of training colleges should be encouraged to take ono year at such experimental farm. Special inducements should be held out to students to tako this course* by assuring to them on appointment to a rural school of grade IT. or upwards a minimum salary of. say, £l~7O per annum. 7. That to qualify themselves to ho special teachers of agriculture, e.g., for tho intermediate course (2) or (3), those who have taken mic or two years at a training college should take a coui'BO of two years at the exporimena! farm; and that the minimum salary

for a certificated teacher thus qualified to be a special teacher should bn per annum. (The allowances payable to students taking the course (6) or (7) should be not less than £35 per annum, exclusive of the cost of hoard and tuition.) Students under clauses (6) and (7) should enter into a bond to teach for not Jess than five years in .New Zealand. 8. Other students should receive an allowance of £2O per annum, in addition to board and lodging, and, besides, in the case of those selected to work for half-time or less, wages at a reasonable rate.

9. That Senior National Scholarships should be tenable at Ruakura. 10. That to train scientific experts in agriculture thero should, by cooperation between the Departments named, be admitted to ouo of the experimental farms sei apart for_ higher research in agriculture, say, Weriiron, youths who aro the holders of a leaving certificate (by preference, a higher leaving certificate, a foreign, language being not, however, compulsory). That bursaries similar in value and conditions of tenure to the Home Science bursaries how tenable by. women at the University of Otago, be offered to qualified young men who wish to take a three-years' course at Weraroa. 11. That National Research Scholarships should be tenable at Weraroa.. 12. (a) That tho principle of compulsory attendanco at continuation courses of youths between fourteen and seventeen years of age should bo adopted throughout the Dominion. . (b) That it should not be lawful to employ any person between the ages of fourteen and seventeen unless such person could produce a certificate of satisfactory attendance and progress at such classes, (c) That timo off should be allowed by employers, to the extent of at least one half-day a week to enable persons in their employ between tho ages of fourteen and seventeen to attend continuation .classes. (d) That, wherever possible, the continuation classes should be held in the day time. 13. That students who have made satisfactory attendance and progress in any trade' class at an approved technical school should receive recognition of the fact when applying for admission to the corresponding trade department of tho Public, Sen-ice. 14. That the chairman communicate to the Lincoln Agricultural College authorities the recommendations madp concerning agricultural education, and ask thorn to consider how far they would be prepared to render assistance on the lines indicated in this report. - .