Farm Studies For City Children

Chronicle (Levin), 19 August 1948, Page 5

Farm Studies For City Children

WELLINGTON, A-tig. 17... ■ Saving that many city children knoA'little about the dependenee of New Zeii'! . Jiuid upon agriculture, the Dominiori Oouncil of Federated Farmers has approached the Department of Education and Agriculture with the objeet of hav-. ing the children in urban schoois taught' more about praetical life on farms. The Miuister of Education. (Mr. M'cGonibs) has replied to the organisation that • it Avould give him much pleasure if he could so arrange afi'airs that children could have personal experience ot of the way of life of other sections of the comnmnity. "It does seem to me, h'owever, that city children could have little appreciation of priu-tical farm life unless they could spend some Aveeks on a farm," he continued, "and a reciprocal visit by eountrv children to tlie city would no doubt be equally beneficial. " Oue purpose of education wals to make pupils as conversant as 'possible with the wliole environment in which they lived, he added, and it was custoinary, in social studies, to discuss the inter-relationship of town and eountrv, and to studv the produce from its source, through distribution, to its destination. The dependenee of Nqw Zealand upon the produce of the land a,nd its marketing abroad was not overlooked, said the Minister. Films were available to make those points clear, and, so far as possible, the farpier's mode of life was studied from pietures and 'written accounts. In a small way, although considerable extension was possible, the assistance given by the Government towards school journeys was a help in the task of mutual understanding, he said, bnt he would be liappy to consider any further suggestions by Federated Farmsrs.