AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

IMPROVEMENTS AT SCHOOLS.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOARD.

Mr. R. S. Ridling (senior instructor in agriculture) reported to the Taranaki Education Board yesterday that during July visits to the primary schools had been continued by all instructors and it was found that in most schools experimental work of a more or less valuable nature occupied teacher and pupils. This was a branch of the work which year after year caused difficulty to teachers in spite of all the help given by instructors.

Experimental work was too frequently divorced from the practical garden work instead of being very closely associated with operations in the garden or in the field.‘ Perhaps one of the reasons for a certain weakness in some schools regarding the branch was due to the fact that teachers give as' much time as possible to field work during the first and third terms and carried out experiments to explain or illustrate very largely during the second term. This arrangement tended to dissociate the illustration from the problem.

It would therefore be wiser to have experiment and practice ': at the same time. Where- this practice was adopted, the work was definitely of a much higher standard arid the pupil learned to seek the reason for each operation not only in the garden but also on the farm. The removal of this weakness could come only with more experience both of experiment and practice on the part of the teacheit'"' In general, practical work in the gardens was well advahced-and preparations ’were being made for spring work. During last year' .teachers were encouraged to plant crops which, held the ground for long periods, thus, enabling, regular and lengthy observations to be made.' Pupils had therefore been able to work steadily for the. longeri cropping period. In the big majority of. schools the . workhad been designed arid Carried ' out for educative purposes rather than for vocational or economic, reasons.

That was, of course, entirely to the good, yet 7 teachers : should remember that experimental. work, which did not take int-o consideration the economic and vocational .aspects, was not wholly complete. When a problem in agricultural work was undertaken, it should, bo attacked from every possible point. Consequently, a diary was required that w’as much .more comprehensive than usually. adopted. In many schools, a special record of practical garden work was kept in an efficient manner, hi this, the records were much more comprehensive and were not removed from the school. In consequence, it was easy where a change of tochers took place for the incoming teacher to carry on where the predecessor left off. In the lower, classes the nature study work was efficiently carried on but the middle division still presented some difficulties to the less experienced teacher. To such a teacher, nature study was a compilation .of observations without an earnest effort to use the observations for the development of the higher faculties. Judgment and reason were often forgotten. This was a weakness which only experience could remove. In many schools very fine trees were ready for planting and the operations had been commenced over a large portion of the district. The planting of unused or rough areas was proceeding satisfactorily and where trees were not required for this purpose they were being disbursed among the farmers. Teachers should make' an effort to have the trees planted by the end of the second term. Other nursery work was well in hand, seedling trees in many cases having been already lined. Improvement of environment of schools still' had a prominent place in the work done by the teacher and pupils and very considerable help was given by committees in this work. A few schools still required shelter belts and many still required assembly areas. The congregation of -children round the school building in some -of' the remote places had resulted in quagmire round the doors'. Sybil cases, were isolated and' the. attention of the'eommittees had been drawn to th© matter. The work of the teacher and the pupils of the Waitaanga school was highly commendable. Less than two years, ago the new school had been erected in a bush burn. Almost an acre of this had been cleared, levelled .and planted in an attractive mapper. ■ The teaching...of the sciences in the district high schools ;W.as being done.