THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7941, 16 January 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1906.

A.great historian has written that "agriculture is the foundation of all manufactures; since .the productions of nature are the mate*ials of art." The importance of agriculture cannot be over-estimated, consequently it is difficult to place too high a value upon agioultural education, and especially may the truth of this observation be emphasised in (considering the natual resources of New Zealand. This country has indeed wonderful natural resources, but by far the greatest industries that it has (and ever will have are those of a /pastoral and agricultural character. We have a system of education that is free, secular and compulsory, and our politicians generally are rather fond of muuthing these words, as though they contained some hidden charm which might work wonders for the utterer. * It * * . * But though our eduoationai system is free, secular, and compulsory,

and though it is rightly every one of these things, do they singly or severally constitute any reason why we should not endeavour to make that system adequate, or at any rate more in keeping with the needs of the youth of the colony. 'Of the system that exists at present there is no need to feel at all ashamed; at the same time to those people who possess rea a onabiy progressive ideas the need of various reforms, or perhaps alterations would be a better word, is glaringly apparent. In some respects the educational system of this country is somewhat antiquated, a little ridiculous, and unsuitable in its uniformity. We hove referred to agricultural education, but this class of erudition only embraoes some of many subjects that should be-more generally taught. .The system must, no doubt, be uniform to some extent, but the inadvißability of such a feature continuing to be so strongly in evidence must become more obvious as the cities grow, and as the. pastoral and agricultural industries are developed. Ihe syllabus of our public schools will have to be curtailed and altered, the technical education system will have to be revised and extended, and sneoial prominence will have to be given to those subjects most likely to prove of benefit to those iustraoted, according to the districts in which they live, or the walks in life that they are most likely to follow. * * * * *: The sooner some steps are taken in the direction we have mdioated the better we believe it will be for the country. It is gratifying to note that here and there throughout the country attempts are being made to bring the question of. agricultural education to the front. The discussion that took plaoe recently at a meeting of the Canterbury Board of Education as to the appointment of an agricultural instructor showed that the memhers are alive to the importance of the question. There was some difference of opinion as to the best way of imparting the instruction, but the majority of the Board were apparently in favour of having the teachers taught, so that they could teaoh the children themselves. In New South Wales the teachers have shown laudable anxiety to acquire a knowledge of the new subjects whioh the Education Department expects them to pass on to their pupils, and the Agricultural Department, by opening a summer sohool at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, afforded them an ex : oellent opportunity of widening their knowledge of the science of agriculture. The school oiened on the 2nd inst. with an attendance of ninety-six teachers and one inspect or, ranging in age fiom twenty-two to fifty-six, and representing fortythree country and eleven suburban schools. The teachers were accommodated on the premises, and were bound by the same rules and regulations as ordinary College students. The programme of work indicates that they spent long and strenuous days in the pursuit of knowledge. # * * * * • In an interesting inauguaral address, the Principal of the College dwelt upon the importance of the new movement. He pointed out that a careful study of natural conditions and scientific effort was demanded from the rural population of Australia to qualify it for the stress of competition in the world's open markets. The establishment of an intimate connection between sohool education and the intelligent application of principles on the farm would foster the growth of the most permanent of the ouuntry industries. "The allurements of city life audits artificial attractions were forces whioh could , only be combatted by a rational system of eduoation in the oountry. The country sohool teaoher who came into close personal relationship with the child bad unrivalled opportunities of creating a taste for rural avocations, which in themselves provided a fundamental basis for establishing a prosperous and healthy population on the land."