SCIENCE OF FARMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 346, 23 March 1910, Page 8

SCIENCE OF FARMING.

NEED FOR INSTRUCTION IN TIIE SCHOOLS. REORGANISATION OF TECHNICAL CLASSES. At the Education Board meeting last | night, Mr. W. AT Ballantyne, director of technical education in the district, submitted a report upon the extracts from the report of the Department's inspector on the technical classes held in the Tarauaki Education District, as follows: (1) In the lirst place he pointed out that in some respects the report was somewhat inaccurate. For instance, it was stared that the laboratory at New Plymouth was used only for Saturday classes in elementary agriculture, for a school class in elementary physical measurements, and for a technical class in electricity and magnetism. This was contrary t;; fat-t. as during the past vcar Saturday classes in practical dairying, in the chemistry of dairying, and in nature study were taken regularly in the laboratory. On the other hand, no class in elementary agriculture was taken. The classes in dairying were carried on with a view to training the teachers in dairy work, so that "they might be thoroughly competent to undertake similar instruction in the Higher classes of their own schools. The difficulty of establishing school classes in this subject hitherto has been the lack of adequate knowledge on the part of the teachers with regard to the require- „ ments of the course in dairying'. Witlr respect to the suggestion that a "special school" for factory managers might be arranged, Mr. Ballantyne said that m [ 1000 a very comprehensive scheme for the instruction of factory employees was | drawn up by Mr. W. E. Spencer, late director of technical education for Tara-

liaki. but unfortunately, owing to the ! lack of support on the part of those ! for whose benefit the classes were to "be inaugurated, the scheme pad to be abandoned. Again, at the beginning of 11)08 sums were taken by the Taranaki Education Hoard to establish a technical day school at Stratford, wiih a curriculum bearing directly iit the industries of the district. It was hoped that the special grants and capitation earned would have enabled the lioard to secure the services of a fully qualified expert whose services would also be at the disposal of the teachers, fac- J torv managers, and farmers. The I scheme, however, was practically vetoed i by the Department, which decided that ! the work must be carried on in conjunction with the classes held *it the ,-/..milord.JJi-.triet High School. In the report of the Inspector of Technical Education the above facts seemed to have overlooked. With regard to the suggestion that the Board should consider tiie expediency of appointing an officer wno could devote the whole of his time 1.0 the interests of the technical schools La this district, "I may say," he concluded, "that I am in thorough. accord, as I find that the increase of work in connection with the primary schools of the district prevents the inspectors from giving the necessary time to the organisation of the technical work that its importance warrants. I have therefore to n commend that an organiser oi' teciinic.-i! "It:u:!< be appointed at, say, i:l.)0 tu■ i" annum and (ravelling ex-petif-os. ff this proposal he given eli'ect to. it will be necessary to draw up a series of regulations for the control and inaiia.i'vnient. of technical instruction in this district. 5 ' The chairman said the matter was a very important one, and lie recommended that tl'e scheme should be referred to the Finance Committee, for the scheme would affect them first. Mr. Kennedy thousrht the Board should first decide whether or not it wa* advisable to make the appointment as recommended in the report. Mr. Car»ill agreed, and said the time had coma, in his opinion, for the Board to £0 farther than the appointment of" an organiser. Steps should be taken to remodel a great deal of the technical schools curriculum. Tie agreed with a good of what had been contained' in the Apartment's report, and lie felt it was the duty of the Board to further bv every possible means in its power the instruction in scientific dairying or

spinnt.ifi-c farming, which was. and" wfiieli j nl n 'pvs would 'be. Taranaki's primary t industry Thov should not conlviiP tlifir attention to thp fnrmprs and fartorv managers. lint, should also instruct thp j in the nrimnrv school's. H<? considered that the children in Stan- f dards V. and VT. should take scientificf firming m their regular studios. TTp know there was groat difficulty in nersuadiiig factory managers or adult farmers to attend these classes. Tntt the experience of other boards was that thp instruction given in tlie schools had ■ given snlPndid results. TTp brought forward" tTio suggestion tTint instruction in wool-classing might with advantage lie given in a district such as this. TTp was convinced that the £l5O and expenses for a good organiser would bp aninlv recouped In- the large increase of punils. : Mr. "Morion said that the question was undoubtedly a very important one. Three aspects had.lieen opened up—the chairman's suggestion to refer the matter to the Finance Committee; Mr. Kennedy's, that the Board should affirm the principle suggested before taking any further steps; and Mr. Cargill's, that i the whole curriculum be investigated i and reported upon by a committee. He : was of opinion that the Board should ! affirm the principle, and then refer the : question of the appointment to the Finance Committee, whilst Mr. Cargfll's suggestion should go to a special committee for a report. This suggestion was a very important one, having a most important bearing on education in I Taranaki, and affecting a very lavgo number of children. He recognised and understood the difficulty 111 getting factory employees to attend evening classes, for they had a very heavy day's 1 work, and had to start again at a very : early hoar next morning. Most of them, i too, lived some distance frbm the ] I centres where classes could be held. But it ought to be possible to have good classes of those who have just left school, or who are in the higher stan- • dards. He believed a capable organiser • could do a great deal towards obtaining 3 a satisfactory attendance at such classes, " which might be held at New Plymouth, 5 Stratford. Tnglewood, Waitara. Okato, r and Opnnake. Mr. Trimble moved that the Board a affirm the principle of appointing an organiser. He was orip of those, he said, who belbvod that we were int getting , all we should do out of the technical schools, and concurred in 'lie remarks II which had fallen from thp two previous 'h speakers. He added to his motion that l " I a committee, consisting of the ehairU man, Messrs. Morton, Cargill, Kennedy,

and the ivover. be sot up to go into tlitt whole m.Uler of extending the benefits of technical education, and to report to the Board. Mr. Cargill seconded, and the motion was carried.