FARM SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 May 1922, Page 8

FARM SCHOOLS.

AN URGENT NEED VIEWS OF THE HON. C. J. PARR. Agricultural training for boys formed tbe subject of the some interesting remarks by the Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr), when replying to a deputation from boards of managers of technical schools, which raised this question in the course of an interview.

The Minister said that until recently there was some doubt as to the separate functions of the Education Department and the Agricultural Department in the matter of agricultural education. To settle the question, a conference was held ’between the respective Ministers and the directors and heads of both dpartments, and by mutual agreement the duties of each department were defined. It had been agreed that the function of the Education Department was to give instruction in the primary schools and other schools where attention was to be given to the application of the elementary principles of agriculture. He had been advised that for this purpose plots of a few acres were necessary, and where no such areas existed at present he was endeavoring to obtain them. He was not bound to do more than that. Provision of farm schools was the next step, and these were supposed to be found by the Agricultural Department. “I want to say,” added the Minister, “that it is not much use the Education Department undertaking its portion of the job unless the job is finished. There should be farm schools. There should be some place, or places, in the Dominion where a boy who is going to be a farmer can go and learn practical farming. I regret there are no such facilities as yet. The Agricultural Department tell me they have no money to make a start. It is unfortunate that such is the position, because I feel there are hundreds of boys, not only in the country, but in the cities, who in a ‘trying-out’ school indicate that their desires and talents are for the soil.” He not only wanted to keep the country boy on the land, but he wanted to get the boy in the town to go on the land as well. It was a question of important policy for New Zealand that, as soon as they could. they should establish farm schools in different parts of the Dominion at which fathers could 'be assured that their sons would receive the practical training necessary to make good farmers. Mr. Parr said that as the soldier trainees finished their courses at Ruakura State Farm a start would be made to take in there boys who panted to

learn practical farming. Farm schools would thus have a beginning on the Government farms, but the work must not end there. No system of education was worth a dump unless it recognised that boys should be encouraged to go on the land by having provided for them every facility for learning scientific farming. He welcomed the opportunity of saying that his sympathies were entirely, with the deputation in its request that farm schools should be got going as soon as possible.