FARM TRAINING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 11, 4 September 1931, Page 5

FARM TRAINING

little interest among young people of dominion PARENTS' SUPPORT LACKING The training of the youth of New Zealand in farm practice was recently considered by the conference of the Royal Agrioultural Society of New Zealand. The conference expressed the opinion that more training such as was being carried out at Ruakura should be" put into operation, and that the costs of higher education should be curtailed to provide funds for that purpose. The conference also considered that Flock House should be used for training New Zealand boys when it ceased to be used for training sailors' sons from Brftain. In reply to the Royal Agrioultural Society the Minister of Education (Hon. H. Atmore) has written as follows : — "I am fully in agreement with the view of your society that more training of the youth of New Zealand in farm practice, such as is being carried out at Ruakura, should be put into operation. Indeed, my department endeavoured at the end of last year, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, to establish such training at Penrose Farm, near Masterton. In spite, however, of personal canvassing and lecturing by two senior officers of my department throughout the district, and the cordial assistance of the Department of Agriculture and the board of trustees of the farm, the response from parents willing to send their sons for training was insufficient to enable the scheme to be established, less than a dozen boys being avaialble. Many secondary and technical high schools which provide agrioultural courses for post-primary pupils are making every effort to increase the usefulness and popularity of these courses, and it is safe to -say that if there had been any real demand for farm school training among bo^s attending secondai*y schools, farm schools would have been provided. The truth is that the demand for such training is comparatively small, and is provided for by the existing institutions. j "I am entirely in accord, however, with the proposal to utilise Flock House station, when it ceases to bc required for sailors' sons from Britain, for training New Zealand boys, and trust that when the time arrives means may'be available for acquiring the property and working it on the present lines, but for New Zealand boys."