RURAL EDUCATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7057, 19 February 1910, Page 7

RURAL EDUCATION

THE WORK OP "DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS. SUGGESTED PROGRAMME. The scheme of work in elementary .agriculture for district high schools recommended by the Department of Agriculture .and l * approved by the Wellington; Education Board is an altogether adthii--able basis for. planning the scheme of rural education in the secondary schools of country districts. It is issued as.a .recommended scheme, rather than, as a .hard and, fast basis on which the' work, liiust be. planloed. ...Tho headmasters of, district! high schools, are expected:;, to! amend it according to the requirements of their respective districts. The only stipulation made is that twenty hours a week must be given. to the subjects of the programme. There will be two instructors iu agriculture for the district, among whom the couductinpr and vising of the special work will be divided. There will also bo instructors in woodwork (building construction, drawing to scale, etc.), while tor the girls instructors in cookery, needlework and domestic economy aro to bo provided. The different instructors will enable the headmasters to carry out the suggested programme, with the assistance, of course, of tlio school staff. The programme is full of suggestion, and provides a splendid . working basis for a valuable course in elementary agriculture for the sons and daughters of farmers. It will 'bo seen from the following sketch of tho programme that tine instruction will bo of a very practical mature. ALLOCATION OF TIME. Tho time given, to tho different subjects will bo as follows:—English, 4hrs; geography, lhr; civics, lhr; arithmetic and bookkeeping, 4hrs; physical drill lhr; elementary geometry and. surveying, 2hrs; woodwork, 2hrs; scale drawing and building construction, lhr; agriculture—elementary phvaics and chemistry, 2hrs; Ijotany, lhirj physiology (farm animals), lhr; practical outdoor work, 2hrs; the remaining hours may be filled in by tak--ing another language, or adding to the work in English, geography, and history. The programme for the girls is similar except that "hygiene, domestic economy, and'dressmaking" will take the place of "elementary geometry and surveying,'! "cookery" the place of "woodwork," "physiology and first aid" the. place, of "the physiology of farm animals," and ithe practical outdoor work will: consist of. horticultural work ;and, if possible, bee and poultry-keeping, with care of till* milk at home. Then srt tlie case of ffirls the time given to arithmetic and bookkeeping will.be an hour less. FIRST YEAR. COURSE. The first rear course in agriculture wil I comprise elementary work .in physics, chemistry, botany, dairying, physiology, geography and, woodwork. Tho physics will consist of physical, measurements, the first section to be taken, in connection with arithmetic, drawing and geom etry. Several of tho other:- sections will serve as an introduction to chemistry The work in the chemistry reaction will inielude mechanical analysis of soils and first principles .in , resard to plant life. Botany will treat of. root, stem,, ■ leat, flower and fruit, treated with special reference to water/ soil, air," light ami heat, wind and insect life. Dairying ,-wil.l bo confined to laboratory work as ■'part of physica Physiology will treat of the skeleton, rniuscular system, digestion, and oirculaition, with special reference to farm ainiinnls. Geography will deal prinoinall.T with ..the physical aspect of it, climate, weather observations, and charts, etc., to be taken with agricuTtmre. The time provided in the pranoral programme to be : devoted to . commercial geography. The woodwork is to be adapted as far as possible bo suit the requirements of the former.' ■ ' SCHOOL GARDEN'.WORK. The outdoor work is very cOinpTehiensive. A glance through the headings will give a good idea of the really practical value of'the work which may bo done in tho school gardeai. The headings read; Planning, measuring and. laying out of clots; preparation of ground—iraoluding in addition to, the' tniumerous processes surface cultivation in l dry weather;, sowing, thimaine. transplanting, etc.; cultivation of, ordinary garden crops amd saving of .seed;, propagation, of plamts by cuttings, prrafting, budding omd layering; " fertilisers • and their use; succession of, crops; experiments (a) to. . ascertain mannirial rerjuiremenits of soil, (b) dealing with im-. provoment of mechanical condition of Boil.,(c) in'the top-dressing of worn-out pastures; laying out plots of grasses and other fodder plants; the- study of common and noxious weeds;-tree amd bush fruits n,iiid their care; spraying and other remedies- for insect and fungoid pests. This programme will, cover- a two years' course. SECOND YEAR'S COURSE. The work in agriculture for boys during the second rear will be an extension of that of the first vear. In nhysics, for instance, such narts of the junior civil service mechanics' programme ;as bear on farm implements or operations; continuation! of J.C.S. chemistry programme so far as.it affects agriculture—plant, Toon, starch, suerar, cellulose, etc., artificial manures; the botany, work will include the physiology of plants, u?e of the microscope, study of important fodder ~ plants, cereals and grasses, the identi, ..fie-ation of seeds and testing them for im purities and germinating power; the subject of nfrriculture proper .Trill deal with prena.nation of sail, tynical methods of culti-ration. fertilisers, formation of Peil, Foil, texture, capacity for holding -water, rotation of crops, insect fungoid pests: tho work in dairving will consist of milk twitin?. chemical analysis of millc, of sponratora. and principles of butter and cheese making, as illustrated In . laboratorv. Wool-elnssi-rtg and ironwork ere niter-native to dairyine. THE OTRLS' PROGRAMME. •

11l tbo first year the eirls - Trill tilrp no-rirolhrro ■.-. a with boy?; but they-will pive more attention to botany, pfomincn<*e bei-rw eiveft in the outdoor work to the cultivation of crops, inchidins useful herbs, the layim* out and "-to of the flown- o-nj-d<»ri, arid a lmowlooVe of ortKiTnom+n] si/rub. l ; and pot nlants; the ohysioloa-v will he, as-' for bors. but with ,=i>"cin.! reference to first nid and I'onlth ; 'domestic economy, hy<r>np. cookery and dres-maki'ii-*. . •" in" (he ..-.»co'"l vnr »ir!--.Vill lake atrietilture a» with the boys! W ns far as possiblo the practical work' will be de-

voted to such, branches as fruit growing, beekeeping, etc. THIRD YEAR'S WORK. In. the third year students will be allowed to specialise in physics, or chemistry, .or botany or agricullture. AVhere possible special arrangements will bo made to allow students to have four hours per week practical work in dairy factory, wool shed, smithy, or agricultural farm. At tho end of third or fourth year students will sit for matriculation, Lincoln. College scholarship or obtain certificate from" headmaster, agricultural instructor; and-., inspector that an equivalernit amount of work, practical and theoretical, has beeui done. '