AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14017, 24 March 1909, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.

; V-- : ::.•■'■ - '' -■• " i» ' ■■••■'■•■-■ • ■'.■-.:'-;;'-':/-;-' ; ;; v ;;;. ■'. ; CLAIMS OF HAMILTON. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Thk following report on the proposed Agri- , ■cultural School for Hamilton * has .-? been prepared by Mr. C. J. Parr, chairman of , the Auckland Education Board, and Mr. George George, director of technical education — - "With reference to the Department's memorandum of December 9, intimating that a grant of £3600 had been made for | the erection of a building at Hamilton, designed to serve the dual purpose of a district, high school and of a technical school, after carefully ' considering the matter we are of the opinion that it ; would be a great mistake to depart from the original intention of the Board as set forth in the director's report of February 4, 1908, which was forwarded to the Department, with the Board's letter of February 9, 1908,: asking for a grant of £6000 for the erection of a building which was to serve primarily as an agricultural school, but also as a technical and manual training school, and was to entirely rei lace the present Hamilton West pistrict High School. "-"In submitting the scheme to the Department," the Board pointed out that as far as the day agricultural school was con- ■ cerned, it was estimated that at least 100 pupils.would attend at' the establishment of the school, and that the income derived from these under the regulations of . the Manual and Technical Instruction , Act, 1900, would be £1500 per annum. This sum would provide for an efficient : staff, including a headmaster at £400, as well as other special instructors. On the ■ other hand, if the school were carried on i as a district high school, with 100 pupils, the maximum salaries payable under the Education Amendment Act, 1908. would be £615, and a capitation allowance of , lis 3d per head, which for 100 pupils would be £56 ss, .or a total- income of . £671 ss. ■' : y '■..'-:•';■'".'"..:'"-,; -".' "Under such a scheme, the school would be financially crippled from the start, as there would be no money available for ■ engaging labour, which- must of necessity s be employed where cows, pigs, fowls, etc., ■■ are kept. i: "''. '" . ~ " ; "Instead of there being; a headmaster, ■ too, who was specially trained* for agri- . cultural work, the headmaster would be i the headmaster of the primary school to i which the .district high school was at- ,'• tached. - " ; ; "Apart from the financial aspect, which is undoubtedly a most important one, the scheme as proposed by the Department appears to us to be quite unworkable . from the fact that it entails dual control. i The institution (and presumably some of the staff) would be under the > authority .' of the School Committee as far ,as the i District High School was concerned, and . under the Board .as regards the technical . and manual training classes. That an > institution, as originally proposed by the Board would be likely "to prove of inestimable value to this province, is, our firm i belief, and we strongly recommend , the ■ Board to urgj the Department yto recon- • aider'its decision. ..'.- •, -V- ; "tv . •>-;;'•' • ! "Briefly, it were well to again set forth 1 the scope of such an institution. It -would sarve :— , • , (a) As an agricultural school where boys and girls who had passed through the primary schools could receive a training which would, specially, fit "them • for rural pursuits. ] : At such a school, too, boys would : receive a preliminary training which would; fit them to pro- ) : fit from such advanced agricultural education as , was provided at the Lincoln Agricultural College. . '.',.-• . (b) As a secondary school, on modern '■"''.<■ lines, where pupils could receive a practical education v with a bias .for professions, commerce, or trades, as ■ in the case; of the day school of the Auckland Technical College. " (c) As an' evening technical school where classes could be conducted in accord- - . ance with the requirements of the dis- ' trict in such subjects :as plumbing, f ?' carpentry and : joinery, dressmaking, cookery, etc- ' . s, . ". '», j : '(d) As a manual training' school where , pupils of the upper standards of the * primary schools of- the district could ' * attend • for classes ! in * cookery, : ; woodwork, etc. ," D i , (e) iAs an adjunct to the Ruakura; experimental farm; the "cadets' from.- the latter attending at the school for scientific instruction, whilst the exl - perimental farm ; could be used to ' carry 'out experiments ..under ' . the «'•■•-' director of the staff of ;the (school;' • Both these suggestions were approved- . , :• ..the late Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. R. McNab. (f) As a centre at which special short ' courses could? be held for dairymen, - for fanners, for teachers, etc., such .-*■'. for example :as winter- schools for woolclassing, etc. . .• i 'Much more might be said about the value of such an institution,' but we feel sure that enough is here set forth to convince the Board that -the Department should be asked to consent to the establishment of the school/as an agricultural one, under the Manual and Technical Instruction Act, and to the closing of the District High School as such.".