AGRICULTURE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17631, 18 November 1920, Page 6

AGRICULTURE IN SCHOOLS.

VALUE OF GARDENING WORK.

INDOOR EXPERIMENTS.

As the outcome of the opinion expressed By the instructors of agriculture that the standard of attainment in the agricultural wotk in the primary schools leaves much to be desired, the Auckland Education Board recently appointed Mr. H. S. W. King to confer with the supervisor of the manual and technical branch, Mr. J. P.. Kalaugher, and prepare a report to be submitted to the senior inspector. The report recommends that the scheme for teaching elementary agriculture in primary schools should be in accord with that laid down in the. pamphlet "issued by the board in 1918, and in a form approved by the instructor in agriculture for the district, and by an inspector of schools. It is stated there exists a lack of continuity in rural science teaching throughout the school year. Greater attention should be devoted to the systematic recording of observational and experimental work, so that the books might be an index of the year's work. More appreciation by the teachers of the educational value of the actual gardening work was necessary, and all gardening operations should "be regarded -as - providing opportunities for the connecting of indoor experimental work with its practical application to plant and soil problems. It was recommended that certificates of merit he awarded each year to schools attaining a high standard in rural science work.