CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1918, Page 4

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

REPORT OF INSTRUCTOR IN AGRICULTURE, WEST COAST

Mr C. S. Slocombe. assistant instructor. submitted the following monthly report for August:—

Work lias been taken in connexion with the Rural Courses at Grevniouth and Hokitika D. H. Schools. The plot at Greymouth has been broken up and set out. Fruit trees have been planted, also shrubs. The weather lias been too wet to do any outside work at Hokitika. In connexion with the work at Grey month I cannot lay too mnehj stress oil the crying need for better 1 laboratory accommodation. Individual practical work as required by the regulations is practically impossible. Next year senior pupils taking work for matriculation will absolutely necessitate much better accommodation. The teachers doing domestic science work also feel the want of proper accommodation. Next yearteachers attending the Saturday Classes wish to take the Class C Certificate examination in Agriculture. This will bo impossible if conditions are not improved. 1 think every endeavour should be made to obtain a grant for the building of a properly equipped laboratory for all the classes which will have to use it.

The teachers’classes in Agriculture have been continued. The work of this class is somewhat hampered by a number of teachers who appear to attend solely for the purpose ot obtaining a free railway pass. Otherwise the keen teachers seem to appreciate their opportunities.

I havo visited all but two of the schools who are supposed to bo earning capitation on the West Coast. The season and the weather is not suitable for seeing conditions at their best. However I think that in all those schools, which have not hitherto clone so, a start will he made with the school gardens this spring. 1 don’t think a detailed report on each school would he advisable or fair at present.

In connexion with the course lor teachers prnpos. tl last month 1 am pleased to note that the matter has received favourable consideration My visits to the schools this month leas only strengthened the impression I gained previously, namely that such a com si is essential for the success ot agriculture cr dairy science as a subject in the primary schools. At a meeting of the Grey Institute called to discuss Mr Martin’s letter, the teachers seemed very much in favour of substituting dairy sceiice for agriculture. Nevertheless some ot the teachers take nL.en interest in agriculture and provision will have to be made for them.

The Board seems to he under the impression that 1 advocated a course for teachers solely for the purpose of introducing dairy science. Were that the case provision for a course (or 2o teachers might possibly he sufficient. But if more (as there are) would introduce dairy science provision must he made for them. I hope that there will he at least 30 schools including science, agriculture or dairy in their curriculum next year. If they are to start on dairy science which it is advisable they should do instead of changing after a year or two, the teachers will have to attend a course But even were they to start with agriculture I maintain that none of the teachers have had sufficient training to do justice to the subject. The Board would not wish to introduce the subject if it could not be taken properly. Then with the 30 schools at present supposed to he earning capitation in agriculture not more than ten have started work. They might as well start next year on dairy science. The work they w r ill do in the gardens this spring will hut serve as a preliminary to next year’s work and get the garden in order. It must be understood that when I talk of dairy science, 1 include work in the garden in connexion with pastures and root crops (garden being under those conditions not a suitable word but, serves lor 1 want of a better). With regard to the remaining ten (approx) schools who have been working for some years the teachers are not sufficiently trained in this work to take the subject ns it should be taken. They are good at school gardening, that is the art of growing vegetables, hut not at taking agriculture as a science. TJiey themselves, some of them, admit this.

These arguments should be sufficient l to convince the Board that provision should be made to take at least 60 teachers in a course in agriculture and dairy science with the idea of introducing a combined course in these two subjects in the schools next year. I propose that the Westland schools he closed from 6th December. That those teachers, say 30, attend a course at Hokitika from 9th to 14tli.

Then the Grey schools be closed on 13th and the teachers attend a course at Greymouth from 16th fo 21st, This would mean 30 teachers at each centre, a reasonable number for two instructors to look after. If this were done the work for next year would be on a sound basis and the Inspectors would be assured that the teachers were qualified to take and were taking the subject as it should be taken, namely as a science.