AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 73, Issue 6284, 23 September 1946, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL

PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDS PROPOSALS FINAL STAGES IN NEGOTIATION. The Education Committee of the House recommended on Friday that the petition of Mr A. E. Bryant, of Orakau, and others, praying for the establishment of an Agricultural High School in the Waikato area, should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The recommendation received the unanimous support of members of both sides of the House and the committee’s report was adopted. Mr W. S. Gooseman (Opposition, Waikato), thanked the committee for its recommendation. The people of South. Auckland, he said, were very earnest in their desire to establish such a school and he hoped the Government would carry out the recommendation. Mr H. E. Coombs (Government, Wellington Suburbs) said that as a member of the committee he had been very interested in the evidence given by Mr J, M. MeWhannell, of Hamilton, a member of the Auckland Education Board, who fathered the petition before the committee. Mr MeWhannell had produced evidence which indicated not only widespread interest in the development of such a school in the' Waikato district but also that there was the need for the type of institution he visualised. The Auckland Education Board, with Mr MeWhannell as the leading spirit, had gone to a tremendous amount of trouble to satisfy themselves that what was suggested was urgently needed in the district and also, subsequently, in other districts. He thought the House was indebted to the Auckland Education Board for the lead it had given. The general idea put forward was that there should be an advanced post primary school, something less than a University College but something more than an ordinary post-primary school, to which pupils could go fortwo or three years for specialised instruction in agricultural subjects, after two years of post-primary education.

Those behind the petition had discovered that there was a solid body of public opinion in support of the project and, in fact, they had encountered no opposition. It had been proved to the committee that boys in the South Auckland Provincial area were now going as far afield as New Plymouth High School and Feilding Agricultural High School. Both those institutions had waiting lists. They werd also going to Nelson College and some of them to Waitaki Boys’ High School. (The evidence was quite clear that there was required, in the vicinity of Hamilton, a residential college with an agricultural bias. Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga), said that he was glad to hear the warfh, approval given to the scheme. There were few, facilities for those who desired to pursue a career associated With primary industries. In order to maintain primary production at the present standards 8000 recruits a year were required, but in actual fact the number who desired to take up such a career was in the region of 4000. It was, unfortunately, a fact that it was becoming more difficult to lattract workers for primary pursuits. Farmers’ own sons were graduating from high schools into trades and professions. There was the need in the rich and fertile Waikato for such a school as that envisaged in the petition. Broaden Education System

Mr H. Johnstone (Opposition, Raglan) said it was appreciated that nothing could be done immediately in the way of building but the desire in the district was to get on to the job as soon as possible. Those connected with primary production realised it was becoming increasingly necessary to broaden the edu-' cation system and have a specialised college in regard to primary industries.

In the past it had been possible to get along with hit and miss methods and to-day they could not afford to make mistakes. Splendid examples of such schools were those at Feilding and Rangiora. The question of agricultural schools was no longer problematical at all. : The Prime Minister referred to the work being done in District High Schools. What had been accomplished at Matamata was one of the best examples of what a school could do in all round education. All that he wanted to say about the petition was that he hoped that the method employed would not be followed. The Auckland Education Board was authorised by law to make representations to the Education Department and to the Minister and it had gone to considerable trouble to organise a petition before consulting the Department or the Minister about the matter.

He just wished to call the attention of the Board to the fact that there was the usual and unusual way of doing things and he would leave it at that.

Mr Fraser added that he was immiensely interested in the project and he hoped the school would be established.

Mr M. H. Oram (Opposition, Manawatu) said he would support any extension of rural education. The petition was referred to the Government for favourable consideration because the actual form the proposed school was to take, required some consideration by the Department. It was necessary to ensure that the Waikato was getting the very best type of school and one that would fit into the education structure of the Dominion. Something was required on the lines of the Feilding Agricultural High School which had proved such a success. Importance of School Mr A. S. Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki) emphasised the importance of such a school as that proposed to the Maori race and Mr A. J. Murdoch (Opposition, Marsden) said that there was continued pressure for an agricultural school in the North. Mr Clyde Carr (Government, Timaru): You are getting one at Kaikohe. There were great possibilities in the South Island, if young people could be interested in farming, said Mr W. H. Gillespie (Opposition, Huriinui). A wonderful job was being done at Rangiora where farming was being taught on practical lines. Mr Clyde Carr remarked that the

committee realised that the project was new and required consideration.