The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1927. RURAL EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17773, 8 October 1927, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1927. RURAL EDUCATION.

In. a. country where 95 per cunt, ol the created wealth, comes from Hie soil, there should he- no lack oi: interest in. rural research. Doubtless it.can be uhown that the. rank and- file ; of the army of agriculturists and pastora lists show very little' appreciation oi rural education, nevertheless it is true that a large section .of the farming community delude- themselves into believing’ that a solution oi farming problems'is to he found, not in the application _of science to agriculture and allied industries, hut in political action. In a rec-eut article on the benefits of rural education, “The Christian Science Monitor” said, “More than one' expert on rural problems- is in confusion regarding the proper adjustment of the farm io the changed conditions oi 1 In 1 a rose nt day. Economists, political scientists, and rural technicians- have- seldom agreed n their diagnosis- of the needs of the rural community. Economists discus's 'price fixing and co-

operative mmkcting, us u. panacea i'or ilie improvement ot rural conditions. The political übseivei k-ocs del ivei unco for tlio farmer and. liis family in the. ballot-box and in certain legislative correctives. May it not be, however, Unit what" is most vitally needed is. a, comprehensive and farreaching: programme . of rural educationTiro Empire Conference. now meeting in London,. is devoting considerable attention to rural resear eh raid agricultural education. "The best men are going to other professions,” declared an Australian representative in the course of the discussion oji the. lack of opportunities in this sphere of educational usefulness for men of talent, scholarship, and enterprise. “The worst men are going* in for agricultural research, which suffers, not only from the adequacy oi the prizes offering, hut also from national failure to recognise the fundamental importance of research in connection with farming. Much good must come out of the. p. re sent Conference, and it is encouraging to note that the Commonwealth of Australia, is giving a splendid lead by offering to co-operate with the Empire in establishing a chain of research stations. If parts of the British Ernpiic arc slow to realise the place of rural education in the scheme- of national affairs, other countries' have sensed the immense benefits to be derived from rural research, . and the provision of better facilities for education in the . science ail'd practice of farming. As the journal quoted above p-uls. it, the solution of the biggest problem facing- the great producing countries to-day is how best to meet the needs of the man on the land n the direction of providing a comprehensive system of rural education. Conclusions reachedjn many countries are of infinite importance- as finger-posts to point, the direction education for the countryside should take. It is therefore interesting to learn that to prominent educators attending the- World Federation of Education Associations, one of the recurring- themes ‘ .of' that epocal conference, was that of rural education. The need for this- is felt more keenly perliapsin less highly-developed -countries than in the United States and the efficiently-cultivated lands of some parts of Europe. At the Conference, Professor Morses Saenz, assistant secretary of Education of the [Republic of Mexico, mentioned the extensive pr ogram me of rural education being undertaken in his country, lie explained the pedagogical programme of the itinerant educators who arc sent into the remote and hitherto, neglected villages of Mexico giving to the peons a glimpse of a higher and more advanced community existence. Denes Janossey, ot the Ministry ef ■ Education of Hungary, declared that a .similar campaign of mral education was in progress among lris., people, ft. Howard Ferguson, Prime Minister of Ontario, gave to his hearers at Toronto some convincing figures

r-efiective of the interest beingtaken in rural education all over the Dominion of Canada. Dr. Sidney Wei of Peking likewise affirmed that the social and international solidarity of his country could not. be accomplished unless an heroic effort were made to lift the standard of literacy among the millions of Chinese rural folk. And in England many problems in the field of rural education yet remain to be solved. Coming’ .nearer, home, we have the splendid example of Queensland with its travelling farm schools- which penetrate remote backbloeks, while- in New South Wales, there are well-equipped and efficiently- I staffed rural schools which provide liberal courses in agricultural' education for the youth

pf-ihe country. Unquestionably,• in all producing- countries it is the first duty of the States to provide an efficient system, of rural education which will ensure that the work of tilling the soil; of planting- and harvesting' crop?, , and of living in partnership with Nature, will again become invested with a deep and genuine sense of satisfaction. In New Zealand a genuine effort, is being made to provide _ rural education to. meet the- growing requirements of the country. .. A cunsiderahio sum lias been provided by the. State for the establishment of; agricultural colleges, and the Minister of 'Education- has expressed his determination to safe-

guawl tho interests of the country in the provision made for eo'ucation. It is realised that increased leisure will result from the wider use of modern farm . machinery and other labour-saving" devices. Whilst it is desirable that tl-e country population should be induced to remain on the land, it is felt: that: the tine arts and all the other cultural elements of illiberal education must in some way be made available to the farmer and bis family, without, tire consequent necessity < £ forsaking'' the plough and migrating ■to tire .towns; ,in short, -ho gicat problem facing the State to-day is unquestionably ‘ the proper provision .of rural research and. agricultural education. . -