LOCAL WOOL SALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7027, 15 January 1910, Page 3

LOCAL WOOL SALE

Tuesday, February 15th, 2 p.m.

RURAL EDUCATION VALUE OP THE COUNTRY SGHOOL. THE NEED OF CONTINUATION CLASSES. There is no department of rural economy attracting more attention, and this in practically every civilised country, than that of agricultural education; and, rightly so, that phase of it with which the primary school is concerned. It is here where the great mass of tho future tillers of the soil receive- their entire education, and unless the first | principles of agriculture can be imparted in the country school future generations of farmers will grow up to be farmers merely by institfct —compelled to conduct their business on the rule-of-thunib methods of their fathers before them, and ill prepared for the modern race for market supremacy—or drift to the deteriorating lire of the city, • for which' the primary school training will have prepared the-r,:. Were, however, the education ■ given in the country school a sane endeavour to provide an elementary training, consonant with the future life of the farmer's child it would provide tho best means available of advancing the great primary industries, of the, country, for it would ensure a better class of farmers, receptive of the latest teachings of science and stay tliat regrettable drift to the city which is too often-, the experience in ; .o-ldjestablished countries. - -• '""■' ':- AIt is distinctly gratifying, to know that the teaching of elementary agriculture in our 'primary schools has made the progress it has, but much yet requires to be done- The training of the teacher is an essential .to the movement not realised as it should be. All,the - plums of 'the serivce ■ are. in the city tho university colleges of? the country do not recognise tho science of the industry on which the country exists.; The secondary and ornamental professions all" have their State-pajd doctors ,; ; and professors in the four costly -universities suggested; and yet there is not _a single ohair for a professor of the science of agriculture! ; " ' .' Given, however, an awakening -to' the true position in regard-to the. teaching of the first principles of agriculture, and in this the training of the teacher is the first essential, something more is required. This is carrying the tuition in -elementary agriculture; a step further by establishing evening classes in the winter for country boys who have left the primary schools and ,have : already started the struggle for ..existence. This is being recognised as the' grea£ essential by Honie v and European /authorities. The view taken-at Hoine, is that the knowledge imparted should not bepurely technical; but that the aim should be to so educate farm boys - (provide a means of mental development) that they will be able to receive and assimilate" the advice of experts and skilled agricultural instructors. • Of course .full use should be made .in these continuation schools of agricultural - facts- ana principles which may be adapted for pupils-of the age under instruction. > The nrinciplo is being emphasised that the boy is no less a hoy because he happens to be working on a farm instead, of in a. secondary school, and when ho 'is not fortunate enough to belong-to the. class which pan afford a secondary. school education the best thing that can .\be done for him is to continue his . general education by means of evening schools. It is an obvious fact that, some means should be taken to provide an effective method of continuing the training- -.;,■ in the orinciples of agriculture being now inculcated in the rural schools, with _ more >~ less success, and the conduct _of continuation classes during the winter Iscertainly the best solution of the problem..