AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19235, 26 January 1926, Page 13

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

SECONDARY SCHOOLS. TRAINING TEACHERS. A COMPULSORY SUBJECT. No. HI. BY W. S. hill. As agriculture is not an important examination subject in secondary schools, so there is a tendency to treat it in a spirit of post-prandial relaxation. Although the proportion of boys taking the agricultural course in secondary and technical schools is probably not more than 10 per cent., yet 30 per cent, of the boys leaving these institutions go on the land. The general desire of the pupils, and, I will \enture, teachers also, is for instruction in those subjects which are regarded as the best from the point of view of the public service entrance, matriculation and university scholarship examinations. Thus we have the most convenient courses for these examinations largely dominating the situation to the discouragement of agricultural subjects. Many wish that agriculture be made a compulsory subject in these general examinations. Professor L. H. Bailey, of New York, when "visiting the Dominion some years ago, expressed the opinion that the inclusion of agriculture in all school courses would bo of great benefit to a community such as we have in New Zealand.

Ihe success of rural science and agriculture in the primary schools depends largely upon the training and enthusiasm of the teachers. The teaching profession draws its probationers from the secondary schools. These have usually taken a nonagricultural course. I suggest, therefore, that the Education Department holds the master-key of the situation. One sharp turn of this key, by making agriculture and some natural scienco compulsory for all examinations for teachers, would at once open wide what should be the foremost door to the teaching profession in New Zealand, i.e., a course with an agricultural bias. Secondary schools would then provide the necessary courses and training colleges would pay more attention to the subject. This seems the most inexpensive method of enhancing the value of the rural science and agricultural courses in primary and district high schools. High School Training.

iTTere is an agricultural department under the charge of an agricultural instructor at the Pukekohe and tho Auckland Technical High Schools. In tho technical schools the attendance at the agricultural classes has not been very satisfactory in recent years, but this phase will surely pass as it becomes recognised ithat a sound technical training in agricultural subjects will become more necessary for intending farmers and for those entering the large commercial firms dealing with farmers' stock and produce. We have not in Auckland district an agricultural high school 'of the type of that of Feilding.

Referring to agricultural high schools in Victoria, Mr. Tate says: "Fifteen years ago very elaborate arrangements were made in a group of schools, established as agricultural high schools, to provide a secondary-school course in close touch with country life. Each school was given a well-equipped farm of from 30 to 80 acres, and these carried the necessary farm animals, horses, cows, pigs. Approximately one-third of the school-time of the pupils taking the full agricultural course was devoted to the study ot the subjects contributing to the theory of agriculture; one-third was given to manuaT work in the school workshops and on the farm; and one-third to subjects of general and cultural training.'.' Every endeavour was made to link up the school farm with the local agricultural life. Causes ol Failure. The Scottish Agricultural Commission, which visited Victoria in 1910, showed cordial approval of these schools, saying, for example: "The agricultural high school is a secondary school with an agricultural bias, and a link between the rural school and the agricultural college. It is also a preliminary stage in the education of boys and girls who wish to become teachers and eventually graduate in the State Training College and University. . . It would be difficult to give too great praise to the scheme and its method of development in the State of Victoria." Mr. Tate then comments: "Yet the melancholy fact must be stated that at no time has-the enrolment of students in the full agricultural course been satisfactory. . . The causes lie chiefly in our stage of "agricultural development and in the inequality of attraction between the regular hours arid opportunities for pleasure offered by positions in the cities as against farm work. So long as the countryside is divided up into farms so large that -a farmer can make a reasonable living by methods which result in a very low average of production, there is little economic pressure in the direction of agricultural education. It is in countries where the conditions are hard and holdings are small that agricultural education flour ishes. Denmark is an example of this. The history of agricultural education in the United States strengthens this argument. A few years ago American schools found the same unwillingness to take agricultural courses as we find in Australia and New Zealand to-day." Mr. Tate then emphasises that agricultural teaching should persist despite lack of appreciation, and states that the ideal position for aji agricultural high school should be in the open country within easy reach of the city. The Position in Auckland. The Board of Agriculture recommended that in suitable centres high schools having a special section for agricultural teaching should be established with hostels attached, and, without specifying anv particular district where agricultural high schools should be established, thought that the success of the whole scheme of agricultural education would be greatly furthered by the founding of such schools in places where the settlers themselves are prepared to come forward in support of the school and the tc3chcrs« Now, what is the position in Auckland City ? The agricultural branch of the Seddon Technical College was established ten years ago, and during the intervening time many hundreds of pupils have passed through. The general and laboratory subjects were taken at the college, while the demonstration field work was taken at plots at Otahuhu. Recently the numbers of pupils have decreased, but it is hoped that greater support will be forthcoming this year. The lease of the land at Otahuhu' has now expired, so that another area ot land is required. It is hoped that by local support a suitable area of land will be obtained. With more pupils and suitable land this should develop in time into an independent unit in the form of an agricultural high school. But unless enthusiastic support is given to this object by Aucklanders retrogression will take place. A few years ago the people of the Feilding district handed over to the Education department a well-equipped agricultural high school. What is possible in Feilding should be no difficulty in Auckland. Therefore it is suggested that by making agriculture compulsory for all teachers' examinations the Education Department can solve many present difficulties, and that where it i§ desired to have agricultural high schools established the initiative should come from the settlers.