SCHOOL AGRICULTURE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 39, 17 February 1943, Page 3

SCHOOL AGRICULTURE

SURVEY OF INSTRUCTION IN WANGANUI

REPORT TO BOARD MEETING Agricultural instruction in Wanganui since -1906 was surveyed by Mr. E. H. Lange, instructor in agriculture to the Wanganui Education Board, in a report to the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. He said:— On February 1, 1906. Mr. Jas Grant, 8.A., commenced duties as the first instructor under the board. In 1912 Mr. O. A. Banner, with headquarters at Feilding, and Mr. R. A. S. Browne, with headquarters at Hawera (then in the board’s district) were appointed to assist Mr. Grant. When the Education Act of 1915 altered board boundaries and transferred the district schools around Hawera to the Taranaki Board, Mrs. Browne was also absorbed. Messrs. Grant and Banner carried on the work until October. 1920. when the former transferred to Wanganui Technical College and Mr. Banner was appointed chief instructor with Messrs. Lange, Cork and McNab to assist him.

In 1922 Mr. Banner was appointed headmaster of the Motueka D.H. School, and Mr. J. B. Hogg, B.Sc., was appointed to succeed him. About the same time Mr. I'cNab re-entered the primary service and Mr. J. Brown, B.Sc., was appointed in his stead. The staff, Messrs. Hogg, Brown, Cork and Lange, carried out till about 1927, when Mr. Brown was appointed chief instructor in Canterbury and was not replaced. In 1932 Mr. Cork was transferred to the Nelson district and Messrs. Hogg and Lange carried on till 1935, when the former resigned. Mr. E. H. Lange was then appointea chief instructor, with headquarters at Wanganui. The assistant instructors during the period 1935-42 have been Messrs. A. J. Calder, B.Sc., R. A. Robbie, M.A., and W. S. Bilbrough, B A. The department having notified that instructors in agriculture would not be replaced during the currency of the war, when Mr. Bilbrough transferred to Taihape, it became necessary to carry on with one instructor. This position involved a reorganisation oi the work in the district and, after

consultation with the senior inspector, it was decided to proceed as follows: (1) Boys’ and Girls’ Club work—root crops and calves —should be fostered to the fullest extent. (2) Distict High School secondary departments should be seen once per term. (3) Instructors’ activities should be devoted mainly to country schools, town schools being visited only when time permits.