EDUCATION REFORM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2873, 11 September 1916, Page 7

EDUCATION REFORM

AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES

CHANGES FORCASTED COUNCIL OF EDUCATION Tho inaugural meeting of the Council of Education was held in June of last year, when a number of questions of great importance and of very wide range wore brought forward for consideration. Owing to the intricate nature of some of the topics which in some cases presented new phases of educational policy, it was found impossible at tho inaugural meeting to do more than open up the various questions by general discussion, and to appoint four recess committees to make investigations and to present reports at tho next meeting. Tho meeting in November, 1915, was a special meeting called for tho consideration of urgent matters such as the definition of the boundaries of education districts. At this meeting, of course, ,tho mutters referred to tho recess committees could not be brought up. The second general mooting of the council now being held represents, therefore, the first opportunity of the for the final framing of definite recommendations concerning reforms in connection with education. At ;the meeting held on Thursday of last week tho report of the recoss committee on agricultural and • industrial education was presented, and, after a full discussion, was adopted. Tho main features of tho report are published below. It will bo noted that the recommendations provide for a complete sequence in agricultural and industrial training from tho very elohientary stages represented by nature study and manual and domestic instruction provided for in the primary schools to the most advanced stages of agricultural and technical education required for the' training of experts and instructors in this subject. Another valuable featuro of tho recommendations is the ample provision therein made for the training of school teachers and other instructors on whoso efficiency the whole success of the scheme naturally depends. Compulsory Attendance at Continuation Courses.

Section 12 of tno recommendations provides for -compulsory attendance at continuation courses tor boys ber-woiu. 14 and 17 years or age. it is possible cvhi under the present Act for local authorities to bring into operation certain provisions for compulsory attendance at continuation classes, and in ■eight districts in Mew Zealand the local auohorities have brought rho provisions into operation wth a conaderaijicio.pgrcc oi success. It was considered by tho council, however, that it is a great mistake that boys and girls at the ago of 14 should be able to discontinue their education just at the transition period when their minds and their ideals aro most rapidly developing. The recess committee on this subject reported to the council that in other countries wherever continuation classes wore widoly established, employers found it a distinct advantage to them that their junior employees should attend , continuation classes even though it involved the granting of lcavo lor several hours a week during working hours. In some cases firms provide instructors and havo iitted up in their own premises tho necessary classrooms for tho instruction of their junior cmployoes. Even in places where the institution of such classes was at first viewed with misgiving, or was mot by opposition, it has. been found that the benefits of tho systoni become' quickly recognised and reccivo cordial support from' both, employers and employees. Tho reports from the other recess committees whicf* will be considered at the present sitting of tho council deal with: (a) Tho education of girls; (b) medical inspection and physical instruction together with tho supervision 'of the earliest stages of child training 'and health; (c) secondary schools, including schemes of control for various .schools, the curriculum, the types of" secondary and technical schools necessary fo# the needs of advanced education, secondary school certificates, and conditions or Univer-sity-entrance; (d) the possibility of co-ordination of departmental, university and other examinations. Other new business that may be brought forward will probably bo discussed in a general manner and referred to special or recess committees which will report before the council rises or at the next meeting. j

The Recommendations. The recommendations of the council with rogard to agricultural and industrial education are as follow :-- (l 5 That nature study and tho school garden should bo included in the course of instruction of every primary school, the school garden being used as tho' laboratory for simple experiments on and for observation of.the common facts of plant life. (2) That in every locality, whether at a district high school/technical high school or high school, there should be provided an intermediate agriculture course of two or three years, both theoretical and practical; (This need not injure the general education of the pupils who take it.) (2a) That all district high schools with an average attendance not exceeding 70 should follow exclusively an agricultural or other industrial course. (3) That for those who have left the primary school at 14 years of age to go to work there should ho courses, if possible, during the day, for part of tho year, but continuing for three or four years, of similar rango and standard, that, is, secondary or intermediate in character. Note.—Such classes might bo held, say, ono day a week or two half-days twice a week for thirty weeks in the year, if possible—or if not, then, say, for two (lays a week for twenty weeks, or five or six days a week for throe or lour weeks—in each case the busiest part of tho year being avoided. (3a) That lor those who have spent at least two yen™ in one of the courses ii or 3 above and who urn prepared to give in their whole time for two years longer to instruction in agriculture there should be established In. each island a farlii school, M) That every male student or a training college should go through a course in agriculture not : lower in standard Mum the intermediate course just referred to. Special lenclierii of agriculture would be i«f|iiired tor these courses l'i), (!!), (<1). '• . .(4a) 'flint, for male teiicheiK aglietilttiro of the I.) stiindnfd should bo n cornjitilsiiry in tho 0 mid I) certificate nxriiriimitioiis, (5) Tiinfc tile Agrietlltllriil Depiirlmoot and the KdlHililioil Department nliouh! cri-operale iii (alike otto' of l,)iu .State Kxpeiiiiliwitiil |if>nus (say* lllinIf urn) a place lot file fill (lief training of llios') who Imve ceiiijilefed olle of the iiiletirie.diiilc Willises (2); (/)),■ of, (ty~. whether stlcli jmisijiis ale j/ileriditig to be touchers or fil/liieiii. (I>) XbHl In i|llliiif.V illpiiisr-ls-'e's lii be efficient fclielicls. (if lii/fil schools;. Fxr.tndenls of training colleges slmlilil lie encouraged .to l-fifio' IMP Vein fit s'iii'li experiinentfd ffllill: rfye'eia! inducements liiioiild de lield out in students to take ibis course liy asslKillg U) flielil an appointment In il ilJinl school of grade II or lipsriiids, II iliiiiiiulim salary of, say, £170 per fiiinilni. (7) Tbiit to (|imlif,V themselves: to bo

special teachers of agriculture (e.g., for the intermediate course (2) or (3), thoso who have taken ono or two years at a training college should take n course of two years at tho experimental farm; and that tho minimum salary tor a certificated teacher thus qualified to bo a special teacher should l>o £_5U per annum. (The allowance payable to students taking the course (6) or (7) should bo not less than £35 per annum, exclusive of. the cost of hoard and tuition.) Students' under classes (6) and (7) should enter into a bond to teach for not less than fivo years in Now Zealand. (8) Other students should receive an allowanco of £20 per annum, in addition to board and lodging, and, besides, in tho case of those selected to work for half timo or less, wages at a reasonable rate. (9) That senior national scholarships should ho tenable at Ruakura. (10) That to train scientific experts in agriculture there should, by cooperation between the Departments named, be admitted' to one of the experimental farms sot apart for higher research in agriculture (say, Weraroa), youths who are the holders of a leaving certificate (by preference a higher leaving certificate, a foroign language being not, however, compulsory). That bursaries similar in value and conditions of tenure to tho Homo Science bursaries now tenable by women at the University of Otago, bo offered to qualified young men who wish to take a three years' course at Weraroa. (11) That national -research scholarships should bo tenable at Weraroa. (12a) That tho priuciplo of compulsory attendance at continuation courses of youths between 14 and 17 years of ago should be adopted throughout tho Dominion. (b) That it should not ho lawful to employ any person between tho agos of 14 and 17 unloss such person could produce a certificate of satisfactory attendance and progress at such classes. ■ (c) That time-off should be allowed by employers to tho extent of at least one half day a -week to enable persons in their employ between the ages of 14 and 17 to .attend continuation classes. (d) That wherever possiblo the continuation classes should be held in the day time. (13) That students who have made satisfactory attendanco and progress in any trade class at an approved technical school should receive recognition of the fact when applying for admission to tho corresponding trade department of tho public service. (14) That tho chairman communicate to tho Lincoln. Agricultural College authorities tho reoommendatious mado concerning agricultural education, and ask them to consider how -far they would bo prepared to' render assistance on tho lines- indicated in this report.