AGRICULTURAL BIAS IN EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1930, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL BIAS IN EDUCATION

*' • • ■ I'' ■* v l ■ f' * . OF NEW ZEALAND i : ' : fel)tfd'ATl OX AL INSTITUTE ; DISCUSSED WITH THE 'I-/MINISTER. ' I‘, v - • •'

\ a'ietefiiiit'Viniefyiew, the Executive iof'-'thd New' 1 Zealand Educational ln- ' gtitute aiSalSged with the Hon. H. At--jiiiiil-e tliO ii'epdijilnendntions of the Par- • Education Conmnton' the of an -“agricultural A biAV’< in Mr A. Murdoch f ~: on behalf ,of Uh ‘Executive, .submitted 1 j tLj} Jfollowin^' Biltemient on Recom•mOndatijoii vlifo. 6 in the Report of the ■ ftpcess;Goiiiinittee op Educational Reotgauisatiori.in New Zealand, viz: )•' i ‘Thate in view of the great importi adoe.of our primary industries, the ] . Curricula of till Our schools must include . adbcjtiato practical instruction in agriculture and allied subjects.’

After’ considering the chapter on of Agriculture” (pp. 2939), the New Zealand Educational Institute: : desires tb express the following opinions: ! (I) That the schools should give f afrary pupil ‘an adequate and vital "X conception of the country’s dependence upon the farming industry, and •liquid elevate the vocation of agriculture ;to a position of dignity and re•pect. ’■ (a slight Amendment of the original clause), x (g) That there is room and necessity fdjf: mOf'e: special agricultural schoois of .'the Feilding type to which/ adolescents '-may he drafted as the result of 1 expioratory courses, or of their own oppressed, desirte to engage .in agriculture. Ahd in extension thisv we ißpuld ; recoihmqnd - that such ngricultural schools (and colleges) provide courses ..for Xnoke who have ■ airpady'J made A beginning in rural pursuitfi, and feel the need for fur-. : tjier training' ' ‘f-'niis,” said. Mr- Mur-, “really meant a refresher, course for'tholsb engaged on ihe land and who ; higher training in> order to bring about increased production. 1 (3)‘;!| , hat-biological studies (zoology, - entomology) and, practical botany, (as now bpprbached in Nature Study and Gardening -shotild be given greater epiphftkis/ih "the • primary, intermediate and heartily in agreement with .tliis I .' V (4)7 The New Zealand Educational is emphatically of opinion thaiftrebfganisation must fail to conserve and further the real interests of the -Doriuhjbh’fl ypiith if the following fundamental principles be abrogated, viz:—V-X . (o) Primary schools must never beAy com© Vncitiphal. (b)' Primary schools must lay a broad'• unbiassed foundation.

(c) That . intermediate schools should provide" ’exploratory courses. They should not, however, impose, but discover a bias. (d) Once discovered, the bias or affinity must be respected whether it be in the direction of professional, industrial or agricultural pursuits. 1 ;-.f • (e) Secondary education, taken as a whole, should furnish equal avenues of education for all subjects up to' university standard, thus giving i higher agricultural education Its ’due but nob more than its due em- ' 1 < ’ . ' ii •’■ -j pita sis. ■ 1

The Minister interjected to say that there was no suggestion that the primary schools should become vocational. It was only after the primary schools course that the exploratory period would, begin, Obviously vocational training could not be given until che aptitude of the child was discovered. Elementary botany would be token in the primary schools. The idea was i: f . T . to make every boy and girl a farmer, but to give them a proper understanding of the importance of our primary •industry to a country like New Zealand. • ' ; Mr Murdoch said they were glad to •have the,Minister’s assurance on tn« point. Mr Brew said that he was a member of the sub-committee that dealt with this . question when it was before the Executive. He was glad to have the Minister’s assurance that practical agriculture was not to be taught in the primary schools. The Minister repeated that there would be elementary botany and, of course, the school gardens would he oontlmied,

Mr Brew drew the Minister’s atteniion to the Committee's recommendation which said. . - "the curricula of all our schools must include adequate practical instruction in agriculture and allied subjects,’' The Minister .said there would he elementary botany so far ns the primary schools were concerned. They had drawn a wrong inference; they had his assurance ;i fdr;’-that. “c” answered ’.'/a” and • ‘*d”->‘?M« ,: r-that was the idea df the exploratory course, “f” was In accord with the/intention of the Committee. .' -'i , ,

1, (5) ‘ The New Zealand Educational Institute is deeply impressed with the cogency of the.;': economic arguments embodied in the;) attached article (by the Chief of ithe Agricultural Service, International Labour Office) issued by the authority 'of the League of Nations: —

‘ “(Report of Mixed Advisory Committee which considered special education for boys and girls in country districts).' .. We have to deal with the argument that a definitely rural complexion should be given to rural elementary schools, with the object of preparing country children for rural, and above all, agricultural .occupations. This idea is often expressed in the words “the country school should keep country populations on the land." . It seems doubtful whether this can he done, The economic forces draw-

ing population away from the land are far too great and far too much apart of the inevitable and natural order ol events to be countered in this way, and there are good grounds for holding that there would be almost .a misuse of educational efforts in attempting to do so. Agriculture cannot absorb the surplus population, who are bound to migrate to the towns. On the whole, it is better that they should so migrate at the outset of their career than start on the farm and then go to town too late. Agriculture does absorb less and less of the population owing to the mechanical means of production.

Any capital available goes to mechanisation of agriculture, not to employ more labour. It is chimerical to suggest that most country children can enter an agricultural occupation. Giving up the country children to the towns is a sign of economic progress, for more people are released from producing food arid raw materials and so can produce other goods and services. Rural bias, if it means keeping the population on the land,, is really a sentimental end pursued in defiance of a fundamental law in economics. Country side education should never be such that the town and country children can be said to have been differently educated. Rural bias would be an injustice to the rural population by putting them at a disadvantage on seeking employment. Mutual understanding is. lost if education is specialised, and we should refix the gulf between urban and rural life which it is one of the principal achievements of the Nineteenth Century to have swept away.

' The advantages of rural life pointed out to children must be real and not disputable, Rural bias, if carried to the point which gives true vocational guidance may be attacked ne an improper attempt to force certain groups of the population into certain occupations. It verges on subtle interference with true freedom of contrast. The hoys nnd girls in the country must have the privilege of the same education as those in the towns.’’

The Minister said that there . were many statements contained in the article that was not applicable to New Zealand.

Mr Murdoch thanked the Minister for clearing away the misapprehensions they had in the matter of agricultural. instruction.