AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

Southland Times, Issue 25748, 11 August 1945, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

Scheme For Province Outlined SUPPORT UNION

Agricultural education in Southland was discussed in a report presented on behalf of a sub-committee which had been set up to consider the question at a meeting of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. The report, which was compiled by Mr K. A. McKinnon, outlined a scheme for an agricultural college or farm training centre in the province. Mr G. Stevenson, in presenting the report, expressed the opinion that the scheme outlined was practicable and that it would be a suitable war memorial for the country people of the province. The report was adopted. “The problem of increasing the facilities for agricultural education in Southland is rather complex and opinions appear to be divided about the best method of solution,” the report stated. “Education in agriculture can be divided into two main aspects: (1) Training in practical work. The mechanical aspects of farming and stock management; (2) ' training in the scientific side. “The first does not require an agricultural high school or college. Indeed, it is our belief that the best method of gaining practical skill and experience is for the youth to work for a capable farmer. This would apply to town and country boy alike, with the exception that the country lad would, in all probability, receive such training on his father’s farm. Training in the impact of science on rural industry is, however, a different matter. Here tuition has to be under the guidance of a team of experts—each member specialized in some particular branch of agriculture.” PRESENT POSITION

Southland youths had opportunities for secondary education in district high schools, high schools and a technical college, the report continued. They also had every opportunity for gaining practical knowledge by working for Southland farmers. To extend their education they could join Young Farmers’ Clubs and also study agricultural publications and . perhaps eventually take a course at Lincoln or Massey Colleges. The percentage of Southland youths that could not attend either of the colleges for financial reasons or home circumstances must be large, and to the minds of the committee this was the group that had to be provided for in order to serve the best needs of the province. The suggestion to have a high school with a farm attached had it supporters. The first two years, at least, of secondary training should be on broad general lines with, for those proposing to adopt farming as a profession, sound instruction in the basic sciences. It was claimed that on a farm attached to a high school pupils would be taught the practical skills. Would not this be done equally well, if not better, by a farmer employer? Would not the immaturity of the student limit the farm training to those elementary and repetitive farm tasks which, though undoubtedly necessary, had already been learned at home and which had little educational value? Further, would not the teaching of agricultural theory, be controlled by lack of basic learning, and, finally, would not the basic instruction suffer through dissipation of energy on the elementary tasks mentioned?

COMPLEX PROFESSION Farming must be regarded as one of the most complex of the professions open to youth. In other walks of life what were the pre-requisites for starting vocational training? Did the aspirant for medicine walk the hospital ; wards on leaving primary school? Did the would-be lawyer receive lectures on the laws of libel in Form 111, or did the budding engineer grapple with problems on the strengths of materials without first receiving a sound secondary I education? The answers to these ques- ! tions were obvious and made them .wonder why training in scientific agri- . culture should be regarded as an exI ception. I If one supported the analysis given i of the position one could not see that [the establishment of an agricultural high school or schools would solve the problem. The broader problem of education for rural life and instilling in youth the desirability of rural occupation had also been discussed. Education along I these lines was certainly admirable, but lit was a long-term policy and did not offer an immediate solution of the problem of training youth in scientific agriculture. Indeed, the cause of the drift away from the land was almost wholly an economic one, and if some scheme of financial assistance to those desiring to take up farming as a career was implemented, this drift would be largely arrested. In this connection, Mr McKinnon, in 1938, had presented to the Farmers’ Union an apprenticeship scheme for land settlement which, after considerable discussion, had been shelved because of the war. It was pleasing to note that one of the recommendations of the recent educational conference in Christchurch was to the effect that such a scheme be put into operation. It was to be hoped, therefore, that when discharged soldiers had been settled on the land, the Government would continue a policy of land settlement for : selected youths. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

To establish in Southland an institution comparable with Lincoln and Massey colleges would involve considerable capital outlay and would probably be uneconomic from the national viewpoint. The committee envisaged the following type of institution, which could be termed an agricultural college or farm training centre: — (1) A medium-sized area of land, say 500 acres, embracing if possible different types of country. (2) The farm to be under the control of a farm manager-director and a permanent farm staff and to be fully equipped with farm buildings, live and (3) To have a4equate provision for short courses. These provisions would include a refectory block, dormitories (which could be on Army lines provided heating was installed), a lecture room and laboratory. (4) The small permanent staff would run the farm as an economic unit throughout the year and the shortcourse instruction would be on demonstration and lecture lines.

(5) A panel of lecturers would, be engaged for each course. These could come from the existing colleges, from the Department of Agriculture, or from the specialist farmers in Southland. The advantages claimed for such a solution to the problem were: (1) The future farmer would get his training in practical agriculture by actually working on a farm; (2) most farm employees could be spared for short courses during the year, especially when the instruction was gained in the province; j (3) this approach to the problem presented a workable solution for the great majority of the youths who could not attend full-time courses at Lincoln or I Massey; (4) the Southland college I would serve as a community centre for ! disseminating the latest agricultural ; theory to established farmers; (5) the I Women’s Division could conduct short courses for young women; (6) a sound secondary education is regarded as a

first essential for scientific farming; (7) they would have a reasonable chance of obtaining what they asked. MINISTER IMPRESSED Mr Stevenson said he thought that the scheme was practicable. He understood that the Minister of Education had been impressed with it. The Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union and the Young Farmers’ Clubs approved of the scheme and the committee wanted some direction. He thought that such a scheme would be a suitable war memorial for country people of Southland. Mr J. Gibson Smith said he thought that such a scheme could be used in the rehabilitation of returned servicemen. Mr Stevenson agreed that such a scheme would be of assistance in the rehabilitation of servicemen. “Now that we have got the union’s support we will call the committee together again and push on as fast as we can,” he added.