FARM SCHOOLS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11522, 18 May 1923, Page 4

FARM SCHOOLS

URGENTLY NEEDED IN NEW ZEALAND. DECLARES MINISTER FOE EDUCATION. Speaking at the opening of the Technical Education Conference yesterday, the Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister for Education) emphasised the need for establishing farm schools in connection with the technical education system of the Dominion. The multiplicity of conferences of teachers’ organisations being held in Wellington was, remarked, the Minister, making this week a very strenuous one for him, but he was very pleased to be present to address them that day. Technical education was not the leaßfc important branch of the work of the department. A feature of the past year was the extraordinary increase in the number of pupils attending technical high schools, an increase greater than had occurred in any other branch of education. That would seem to indicate that the schools were growing in popularity. He hoped all was going well ;with them. “We don’t want these) technical high schools,” he said, “to be of the old traditional type. I fear there is a tendency in that direction in some cases. We must insist that the technical high school shall not belie its name. It is obvious that in the country centres ono main subject should be continually stressed with tho children—the industry of the land, agricultural science. The ‘Government should provide farm schools for teaching the practical work of the farm. (Hear, hear.) We can give the chilren the elements of the subject in the primary school in nature study. It is cot my business as Minister for Education, however, to provide practical farm schools. That is the job of the Agricultural Department, but reasons of finance, Mr Nosworthy informs me, ba.ve prevented anything being done. I rejoice that one farm school was started in the South last week, and I would like to cee more of them. We want to get every hoy we can on the land. There is need for a farm school after a boy has had his ordinary education, and I am hoping that as finance improves the Agricultural Department will be able to carry out its part of tho pact after the Education Department has done its part. If we want our young people to become a community of farmers, we must provide farm schools in connection with our education system. “X hope the technical high schools will resist that all-powerful system of taking on old subjects in the old way. Whatever happens, we must have as a foundation a good liberal education. 1 am not much concerned whether it be with the languages, science, or mathematics. The idea held by some parents that a child should go to school to learn typewriting and bookkeeping is one we cannot encourage. There should be a certain amount of that sort of thing, of course, hut I don’t like the tendency to convert schools into mere commercial colleges. There must be a happy mean in all these things.”

On the whole, he said, in conclusion, the work being done in the technical schools was excellent, and tho conditions in the schools were much better than lbey were. The department was spending large sums on technical education in all parts of the Dominion, and it was justified by results.