RURAL EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18371, 2 May 1925, Page 8

RURAL EDUCATION

♦ "KEEPING THE BRAINS ON 9 THE FARM." Speaking on the subject of "Rural Education" at tho annual meeting of tbo Oxford Branch of tho Farmers' Union, Mr H. 0. D. Somerset said that teachers should come into cloge association with the public and secure & mutual approach between tho education system and those whom it must affect. The distrust of farmers to such education as had been offered was probably duo to the wrong typo or teacher. The boys from the farm wore the best to educate for rural pursuits, not tho least becauso they had; some ideas of tho farmers' difficulties. He Urged the dignity of tho farmers' call* ' ing, and farmers should recognise that, and not bo satisfied till they had all the social advantages and facilities of the inhabitants of the towns It took five or six years to become a doctor or a lawyer, but tho calling of a farmer was the research of a. lifetime. All the eorftfoftfi and amenities of tOwn. life must be claimed by tho rural resident, and the proper euro for tho formers' disabilities lay in education. Education, he said, was not the "driving in" of extraneous, matter, but the "drawing out" of tho child's latent powers. If his powers were "drawn out" to the full he would fear nothing. It was not necessary that the child should know everything, nor much of everything, but that he should "know how to find it when he wanted it." Quoting from nnd describing the systems of education of the Greeks. £he Chinese and the Maoris, he showed that education must be brought into true relationship with its environment. Education should not bo a painful process. If it were thero was something wrong with it. It should be a natural development and' as painless as talking or walking. Every child pos* sessed the germ of progress, aiJd the speaker traced the development of the child through tho various racial stages. Instead of sending the brainy boys to tho town to study law Or engineering, they should receive in the country that training that would give them an urge for rural pursuits. The best brains should ,be kept in the country to promote that industry that "surpassed everv other industry. The syllabus should be so contrived that the general education provided would enable the country pupils to proceed to the university in tho usual course. Ho emphasised the necessity of education lor leisure, .ind an education system that did not, provide for that -was not worth the name.

The- school should be the community centre, all social activities should revolve around it. The former should have a new conception of his calling. His sons would remain 11 the country to receive the heritage tliat was his hjj right—namely, the farms of,his father. A very interesting discussion followed. The speaker was thanked for his inspiring and suggestive address, and tolled to continue the subject ou another occasion.