RURAL FARMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 131, 24 November 1911, Page 7

RURAL FARMS.

At the last meeting of the Education Board Mr. P. J. Heatley (technical organiser) submitted the following report and information asked for by the Board regarding the possibility of establishing school farms in connection with rural courses taken in the schools. While laying the information before the Board, lie said that it was not suggested that the Board should assume the responsibility of establishing such a farm in its educational district, but rather that if it were deemed advisable the matter should be placed before the Minister and recommended for consideration. In the first .place, there were at present no such regulations drawn up to meet the case, us in Victoria; and, hi the second, as such a school farm would benefit at least the whole of Taranaki, the weight of finance should be distributed over the district, between the boards interested and the Department. That seemed to be the method adopted in Victoria. in America the schools wherin agriculture was taken were divided into four classes—■

(1)' Small rural schools of one or two rooms (corresponding to our smaller country schools). These took a course of agriculture somewhat similar to ours. (2) The district where settlement had advanced sufficiently to allow of a three, four ov live-roomed school and piece of land, 10 acres was obtained for what was termed the "school farm," commonly attached to the school and worked by the principal and the scholars, part of it being playground and; part farm. In place of having a. number of small (schools scattered throughout such a district, the children were brought into the centre. These schools, termed "consolidated rural schools" corresponded nearly to our district high schools, giving the ordinary primary school education and two years' high school work. (3) For every ten counties or so, there was an agricultural high school with a fairly large staff of instructors q-:''i-iie<l in agricultural science, domestic economy, etc., an adequate labor:' •o-y, and a farm of 20 to 30 acres. These corresponded to some extent to our larger secondary schools and colleges. The work there done formed an efficient link between the consolidated rural schools and the universities.

(4) In every State there was an agricultural college, either as an adjunct of the State university or of the State experimental station, or established separately. The nearest parallel to such is Lincoln College. The chief object iin the second and third grade of schools was to give a good general education to those whole life would probably be on the farm, and also to afford a connected system of schools whereby an interested student might follow his bent right up. 'in Victoria great interest was shown in the introduction of agriculture into the Sta/te schools, and in Gippsland some 50 or 60 schools had taken up the subject. A very gratifying feature in connection therewith was the solid cooperation of the parents, and the general public with the education authorities. At Snowy River, for example, the teacher had the choice of some six quarter-acre sections (worth on the average £SO an acre) as a gift. The plots were invariably given by the parents, who, in addition, do the bulk of the fencing (wire netting), clearing and preparing the plots. The agricultural societies, county councils and others assist with small donations. District schools compete in the agricultural shows as "districts," and in addition to the district prize (which can be shared among the schools) a special prize is awarded to the best school in each district. The need for some higher education in agriculture, something more practical, led the people of WarnamHool to move in the matter of establishing an agricultural high school.

The syllabus was divided into "continuation" and "agricultural." The former embraced English, Latin, French, arithmetic, geometry, algebra, history, geography, nature study, physics, chemistry, theory of teaching, drawing, cookery and woodwork. The student-on this side went up for the junior examinations of the university or the qualifying examination for junior teachers. The student on the rural side took English, French, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, agriculture (including physics, chemistry niul botany), animal life, plant life, drawing, and farm carpentry. Thus a high school or district high school situated in a suitable locality, where enough land could be got near by, could be converted into such a school.

As far as Mr. Heatley could gather, after consulting with those conversant ■witlt prices, etc., the cost of equipment would be about £ISOO. In Victoria a competent man —a practical farmeT—was appointed, at a salary of £2OO a year, to take charge of the farm. The cost of upkeep amounted to interest on capital, plus salary of farm manager, cost of seeds, manures, repairs, etc. The income would be, receipts for butter or milk, pigs, eggs, fowls, fat sheep and wool. I The Director of Education of Victoria had informed him that on a 30-acre farm connected with one of the high schools one horse, seventeen cows, ten calves, one bull, fifty-two pigs, and three hundred head of poultry were kept. The only purchases for the stock were one ton each of bran and oilcake.

With regard to the agricultural scholarships mentioned in the September Teport, Mr. Heatley suggested that while the funds of the Board do not allow of establishing such extra scholarships, the object of encouraging the study of agriculture might be attained if one or more junior and senior scholarships were termed •'■Board's Junior and Senior Rural Scholarships." The subjects might be as laid down in section 11 of the Board's scholarship regulations; but t.hoso who entered for the agricultural and rural scholarship would need to pass an examination (inspector's) in agriculture and dairy work. These marks, added to the other marks obtained, would differentiate between candidates. For the Senior Board Rural Scholarship murks could be allotted for cookerr, woodwork, agriculture—either at a special examination or on work done , diiriim' the vear. Winners of these' scholarships would have a rural secondary course at least two years after obtaining them. The organiser further suggested that the Board should move in the matter of asking the university authorities to consider ""the advisability of adding to the science subjects of the Junior University Scholarship three taken from the B.Ag. course (onlv to a lower standard), viz., principles of agriculture, practical agriculture, agricultural chemistry. This would encourage students to take the < rural course at our secondary schools by all'ording the more ambitious an opportunity of following up their high school course with university training. Mr. Heatlev had ascertained that the university authorities were prepared to consider such a proposal. Hence, if the i>;,., V (l eimroved of the suggestions outj!i:cd ;;uil- invited the co-operation of the Wanganui Board in the matter, the Junior .University, Senior National or Taranaki Scholarships would be open to rural course students, Mr. Kennedy said he thought the, scheme was a' little ambitious at preI sent, but no doubt they would B@d

iThey were teaching a little agriQulturo now, and a little knowledge was Baid to be a dangerous thing. It would bo. needful to open up the way so that > those who wished could continue thei» studies. ITe thought tho question of scholarships worthy of consideraion. Inspector Ballantyne said tfliat the question of scholarships was feasible. It would be possible to award marks for agriculture or some other manual subject in connection with the Board's Junior Scholarships, as was done with athletics in the Bayly Scholarship. He also thought that the University Senate might enlarge the scope of the Junior 'University Scholarship so as to include subjects that would enable a student to qualify for the degree of B.Agr. The chairman said that he thought the time was premature to take up the question of school farms. The time, however, was fast approaching when it would be necessary to separate the high school from the primary school at Strat- { ford. When that was done steps should be taken to make the rural side move » prominent than hitherto. Ife quite "']'■ agreed with rural scholarships because it had often seemed to him that boys who took up the rural course were cut off from further scholarships because the subjects they studied would not carry them on any further. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Kennedy and Rogers, that the organiser's report be received, ami that the part dealing with ; scholarships be referred to the inspectors for their report.