Agriculture and Education

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 September 1916, Page 2

Agriculture and Education

A C HRI STC'H L*RGH .SCHEME. (Christcliurch Star.) At the last meeting of llio Hoard of Governors of Canterbury Collect' of Agriculture, reference was made to ii reconiniiendation put forward by the C'.jiiiir.il o[ Education based oil the report of a reccss committee of tlic Genoral Council on the subject of agricultural and industrial education. These proposals strongly urged: that nature study in the primary (schools and agricultural courses at the secondary schools should bo developed, and that thoie should he agricultural courses durmg the day if pos-ible for those who had lett the primary (schools at fourteen yea.rs of ::ige. Tt wars also recomniended that every male .student of a training colb-ge should go through a course of agriculture, and that for male teachers agriculture of the "D •Standard should: be a compulsory subject in the 0 and D certificate examination. Further recommendations were that the Agricultural Department and the Education Department (should cooperate to make one of the .State Experimental Farms, sav Ruakura. a place for the further training of those who have completed one of the intermediate courses, whether such persons "pre intended to be teachers or farmers. That to qualify themselves to be efficient teacheris of rural schools, exstudents of training colleges should be 1 enroll raged to take one year at such experimental farm. Special induce- - wonts should be held out to students to take this course by assuring to them 011 appointment to a rural school of Grade Tl. or umvard.s a minimum salary of. say £170 per annum. That t( qualify themselves to be special teachers of agriculture, e.g., for the intermediate counse (2) or (3). those who have taken one or two years at, a training college should take a | (v;ui"-e of two years at the experimental fa rm: and that the minimum salary f-r a certificated teacher thus qusiilified to be a special teacher should he £200 per annum. (The allowances payable to istudents taking the course rti) or (7) should be not less than £35 ner annum, exclusive of the cost of board and tuition.) Students under "tauses fti) and (7) should enter into a bond to teach for not less tliau five yearn in Xew ZealandOther .students should recci've all allowance of £20 per annum, in addition to board and lodging .mid, besides. in the. case of those selected to work for half-time or less. wages at a reasonable rare. That Senior National 'Scholarships should be teniblo at Ruakura. • If') That to train scientific experts in agriculture there should, by co-oper- [ ation between the Departments named. I>e admitted to one of the experimental farms (set apart for higher research in agriculture, sav, Weraroa, youths who are the holders of a leaving certificate (hy preference, a higher leaving certili- | rate, a foreign language being not, •» however compulsory). That bursaries similar in value and conditions of tenure to the Home Science bursaries now tenable by women at the University of Otago. he offered to qualified young men who with to take a threedears' course at AVeraroa. That National Research Scholarships should he tenable at Weraroa. That tTie cTiatrnian communicate to the Lincoln Agricultural College authorities the recommendations made concerning agricultural education, and ask them to consider how far they would 'be preared to render assistance on the lines indicated in this report. The Director. 11 r R. E. % Alexander, :n referring to the recommendations a snmimuy of which aro set out above. said that some time ago there had been a movement to carry out the instruction of teachers "at the College but suitable arrangements could not be arrived ; at. At that time the college was full of students and the proposals put forward for the instruction of teachers would have swamped the institution. Tt had been proposed that teaqhers should journey out to Lincoln on certain days of the week, an<l their practical instructions would have cons'sted of just going round the farm looking at the operations. This idea was not considered practicable, or very useful. The Hon. D. Huddo said lie thought that .some scheme for the instruction of tonchers in agricultural . subjects should have the consideration of the Hoard. At the same time be considered tTiat the Board had nothing whatever to go upon, and it would have to wait until some proper scheme was Formulated in the Council of Education. 'When this was done the Hoard could consider whether it would. fit in with the ordinary routine of tho college, or if it did not fit in, how it could he made to do so. The chairman, Mr H. A. Knight, said he thought if the council could give the board some idea of what was wanted . the Hoard might be able to formulate a scheme which would suit both parties. At present lie agreed with ■Air lJiiddo that the board had nothing official to go upon. He had no doubt that the board would give any proposal that were made favourable consideration as it is recognised that the ' work, was of considerable importance to New Zealand. At the same time lie thought that it would be as feasible for the Department of Education to engage experts to go round the schools giving courses of agricultural instruction to teachers as for the teachers to attend courses at such an institution as Lincoln College.