Feilding High School

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7411, 19 December 1930, Page 3

Feilding High School

PRIZE-GIVING

TRAINING IDEALS OF SCHOOL

Parents, supporters and pupils of the Feilding Agricultural High School Idled the Parish hall on Wednesday night for the annual prize-giving ceremony, when Professor Hunter, of Wellington, was the guest and chief speaker. Thoso present included members of the Board of Managers, members of tbo staff and Hon. J. G. Cobbe, M.P.

In his opening remarks, Professor Hunter congratulated the staff, teachers, the Board of Managers and the citizens and settlers of the district in possessing an agricultural high school. He also offered his congratulations to the successful students. His further re- _ marks had to do with the two ideas on which tho policy of the school was being developed—education in practical agriculture and the development of selfgovernment. Ho agreed that these ideas were most important in that they directed attention to the importance of the land from which tho country’s wealth was produced. Ho felt that education had been started on wrong lines in New Zealand. A tragic mistake had been made in promoting the study of Latin and mathematics iu favour of concentrating on tho scientific study of agriculture and of the Polynesian races. He believed that tho country should concentrate on making agriculture interesting and profitable to tho people who took up farming. Touching the other idea, the speaker reminded his audience that material prosperity, while important, was not everything. The teaching of self-government was every bit as important, for it was very necessary iu these times of difficulty that all should be equipped towards being able to solve their own problems. This experiment of teaching the pupils to face and conquer their own. difficulties was not a new one—it had been practised by the Greeks thousands of years ago and later neglected and forgotten, but it. was being adopted at the Feilding school and it would have lifelong effect on the character of the students. Education must not only increase our knowledge, but must deepen our sympathies, help us to realise and understand and sympathise with the lives of tho peoples of the other nations. The development of self-government "would develop the capacity for so doing; therefore self-government, as taught in the Feilding school would help the pupils to face the world’s problems with insight, with sympathy and with co-operation. Concluding, IProfessor Hunter expressed the belief that as time went on many schools in New Zealand would look back to tho Feilding school as the school which did the pioneer work and gave the lead. (Applause.) Professor Hunter was accorded an enthusiastic vote of thanks for his interesting address. The principal (Mr. L. J. Wild) also touched upon tho education system and, referring to farming, expressed the opinion that farmers were not going to have another era of prosperity such as they had had. While prices could not go much lower, they would not improve very much, and it therefore behoved the man on tho land to lead the simple life. Of recent years the trouble had been that many of tho farmers were too prone to rely on selling their farms instead of farming them to make money. Tbo salvation of the country lay in the farmers keeping going for the love of the soil. He had no doubt that land values would come down, and therefore those who took up farming within the next ten years would bo able to secure farms at a price which would place them in the wily of happiness and prosperity. To tho pupils about to leave the school Mr.- Wild commended the Old Pupils’ Association as a prosperous organisation which would keep them in touch with the school. Concluding his last words to tho pupils, Mr. Wild quoted the scriptures: “To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.”

Mr. H. Tolley (chairman of the Board of Managers) thanked the principal and his staff for the excellent work done during the year and the sound progress made. Tlic school was most fortunate in its head and staff. Mr. Tolley also thanked Hon. J. G. Cobbo for his interest in the institution. In connection with the school’s need of an assembly hall, Mr. Tolley announced that a generous offer of a donation of

£IOOO towards tiro cost of tlie liall had been made. The speaker appealed to Mr. Cobbc to use his influence with the Government to get the necessary subsidy, as the offer was made on condition that the subsidy would be availablie.