AGRICULTURE IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15976, 19 November 1919, Page 6

AGRICULTURE IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

EDUCATION BOARD’S GREAT WORK/

There is one thing that stands out prominently in the work of the Wanganui Education Board, namely, t*-m practical interest evinced in the teaching of agriculture in the primary schools. Mr Ercd Pirani, chairman of the Board, has proved himself a champion in keeping agriculture in the forefront, and it must be gratifying to him and the other members of the' 1 Board, and t*he Agricultural Instructors, Messrs J. Grant and A. 0. Banner, that there has been such an appreciative response on the part of pupils. 'Hie fundamental reason for making agriculture the science in both primary and secondary schools is so obvious that a detailed explanation is hardly necessary. The main object irt the teachersl mind is to give the pupils a wide, intelligent and sympathetic acquaintance with the-raore evident things of Nature and man’s relation fo them. It is not the object of this teaching to make farmers, but to open" the minds of the pupils to the common phenomena of nature, to inculcate habits of observation, and to generate in the pupils high ideals of country life.

The school agriculture movement is not by any /ncans new-. The advantages of such teaching in the primary schools deeply-impressed some of the earlier educationists, hut the results were not satisfactory. Some failed through teaching too much theory, while others failed through giving too little. The making of a good scheme in agriculture is still being pursued with great zeal, especially in America, hut, nothwithstanding tho strenuous efforts of leading teachers, the ideal scheme has still to ho evolved. But workable schemes have been produced, and now agriculture is taught in most of tho primary schools of New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Great Britain., the United States, and the Continent of Europe. « THE ACME OF SUCCESS. To make a success of anything, the usual advice is to start young. Throughout the Wanganui Education district the pupils in all classes up to standard 111. have lessons in Nature knowledge. These lessons are seasonal and deal with material that are familiar to tho pupils. When carefully organised thought aud observation are brought to bear ou the commonest objects of nature now much is revealed that was not previously suspected ! A slight'*effort on the part of the enthusiastic teacher soon interests the little children in growing things, and it is doubtful if there are more enthusiastic little gardeners in the whole Dominion than the pupils of primer classes and standard I. INFANTS AND FLOWER GARDENS. Flower gardens worked by infants are not very common, but when, they, have been tried they give promise of great usefulness. It is surprising how much some little children know about tho growth and habits of plants. And most children dearly love the little plot of ground that is assigned to them. 'Hie writer well remembers being at a school whore the infants kept a number of flower gardens very well. On that morning a little boy had come to the school for the first time. At the garden interval he went to the first plot and offered his services, but the little owners promptly rejected him. He tried every plot, but with no better success, and at the early age of five he had experienced the pangs of earth hunger. However, tho teacher seeing his enthusiasm for the land, promptly installed him as a partner in one of the plots NATURE KNOWLEDGE. 'ln standards IY., V., and VI., al-

result of a scblinter bout is merely a device to entice an audience into a very tame sort of show. Many of these showmen work together and have professional touts who go round, and partly by suggestion and partly by lucky (?) investments, persuade the onlookers to part with their nimble sixpences. Luckily, most of these decoys can be spotted by their furtive looks and flashy appearance. Now, why should such people be championed by the Show authorities on the score that an implied agreement has been entered into with them? Did these showmen keep faith with the committee of the Children's Day arrangements I Had nothing to do with the organisation of the Children’s Day matters, and I do not think the committee has chasen an effective way of dealing with these truculent showmen; but I do think something should be done to ensure that only clean and genuine amusements should enliven our Shows. TEACHER.

though the subject of science teaching goes by the name of agriculture, it is in reality a more advanced course in Nature knowledge. The pupil is taught to observe and think. The observation of the soil will naturally lead to the formation of certain theories' with regard to the soil. Then the theory hag to Ire tested by experiment. The problem will lie clearly stated by the teacher, and the pupil will have an opportunity to think out a method by which the IheorAi.iay be proved. Sometimes very good suggestions are made by pupils regarding the most -practical method of making 1 an experiment. But experiments cannot be performed without apparatus, and most schools have but a. very moderate equipment. So most of the“ experiments have to be worked out with improvised apparatus. Still, very good work is done with such apparatus, and when the experiment proves the opinion of the, pupil to bo right, there is much joy in the' hearts of the youthful experimenters as is experienced by adult supplied with the best of apparatus. Almost all the topics dealt with in the study of soils can lx 1 dealt with in sim-* plo experiments made partly with improvised and partly with bought apparatus. In a considerable number of schools a. balance and a little glassware arc supplied. THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD. The plant and its habits can be studied by the experimental method. The seed, the* essentials of germination, the growth of the plant, can lie studied by the results of individual experiments worked at Tronic or at school. If the experiments arc repeated a few times with a variety of seeds, the main facts of germination and growth, can lx* easily learned. THE SCHOOL GARDEN. The outdoor practical work is what is known as the school garden. For this work a number of tools are supplied. The.vC consist of spades, forks, rakes, hoes, weed forks, trowels, and garden line. The outdoor work consists of definite experimental work with the commonest vegetables, and also tree and shrub planting, with a view to the improving the appearance of the school grounds. In the first case lessons arc given in the preparation of the seed bed, the sowing of seed, thinning, hoeing, weeding, antt harvesting of the crop. SCHOOL PLOTS. In most schools plots are assigned to small groups of children, who grow the more common garden plants, potatoes, peas, beans, turnips, carrots, etc. The pupils have thus the opportunity of studying each plant frpm the seed to maturity, and in addition they learn, the elements of garden practice. The pupilS in the higher standards keep notebooks, in which are recorded the results of both their indoor and outdoor experiments. But with the growth of agricultural instruction a change appeared in th« playgrounds. The teachings of Natun knowledge and agriculture makes for th» appreciation of the beautiful, and t> many of the old playgrounds the tern beautiful could hardly bo applied. TJ.o first efforts made to improve the appearance of school grounds generally consisted in planting trees around the echo I boundary, but in later years it was aa-i parent the result was not going to »«>; satisfactory. Earnest teachers soon fLs-j covered that there was a science in tli#| ornamenting of the playground, and) that it was necessary to plan very ■cares fully before planting. Teachers who aiq interested in this work, and most o 1 them are, draw up plans for the improve ment of their grounds, but may take many years to accomplish, but every lilt 1 ■ done is always something toward* Hi completion of the larger scheme. *• Man school grounds have been (hanged froi mere paddocks to miniature parks with out losing anything;? us playgrounds.

THE BANDS AND CHILDREN’S DAY. To Ihe Editor. Sir, —“W.P.” is anxious to knoi what “J.D. and Co.” think about tin non-attendance of the bands on Child ron’s Day. I don’t know what ih« “Go.” thinks, but “J.D.” still think: as he thought before. Your com spondeut does not, or will not, seo m viejv, which is that the Pipe Bam which pays the national music of Scoi land, and which is supported by cor tribntions from loyal Scots and symp: thctic friends, should not bo utilise to further the interests of a politico party. Children’s Day, as far, as # know, had nothing to do with politic: except, perhaps, that (T am informer it was sadly mismanaged.—l am, etc J.D. The “Herald” for Printing, 800 l binding, and Stationery.