TEACHERS' FARM SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 101, 23 January 1920, Page 10

TEACHERS' FARM SCHOOL

ITS UTILITY QUESTIONED The a Hi tilde of the Department of Education in respect ol' the teachers' farm scln;ol. which is held annually at' Kuakuia was the causo of a good deal of a-lvirse comment: at the last meeting of the Auckland Education Board, says the "Star." The question of Hie school arose out of a request for its recognition bv tiio Department, with a view to obtaining free passe* for the teachers i.lleudiiiL'.

Til > Deliartircut'.s unwillingness to recognise the srl cd was signified in a lottor ro'-'.d at !li" beard's iiiectiiiß. 'lhe letter ran as follows:-—"Doubtless keen interest was shown by tli-c teachers who viiiicl the fa cm last year, but tho question is whether this interest would result in milihiiij,' oil' a very superficial knowledge of wl'.ii was seen? J.t is noted that only tor.chcis who are taking ail ai live nan in elementary agricultural in-striii-i inn in s:di:.nls aro psrinitted to atlead ilie i::nn .-.chooi. J'lven for these til.? mviM'amtiie o:' work attempted seems to lie [ar t»n ambitious, and would be more suitable for experienced tanners of twenty years' sti'Mlniß than for the eountrv school teacher, whose knowledge is very limited, and v ho.se work is confined to n» ordinary «i houl garden." Tht- letter continued: "It is difficult hi «ee ivhat exlvn': inexperienced teachers. many of whom aie girls, could be the means ot disseminating knowledge among practical farmers in their dis. Commenting upon this, llr. J. P. Ka.lauKher. Director of .Manual 'lraiumg, stilted that tile consensus of opinion was that these farm schools hud been n great success, and that ho regretted tho De« nartiiu'iit'* attitude in regard to them. "The Agricultural Department's officials who visited the schools are also ssitislied." he said, >ul 1 am sorry that they should regard it in this light • The chairman. Mr. E. C. Banks, then proposed that the board indicate its dissent. from this view, and that it lx> asked io send some representative to view the actual work of the school. Uiis view was endorsed by llr. Garland. llr. King slated that, lie had heard that the .syllabus was overcrowded, and that from a -perusal of it he was inclined to agree with that, opinion. Ifr. Ivalaugher replied that it was not essential that pupils take the whole syllabus; they were allowed, within certain limits, to make a selection of subjects.