AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3169, 15 March 1911, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

ARE THE CONDITIONS FAVOURABLE ? [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] > /HALARC,. March 14. The Education Board to-day < received a report from the agricultural instructor last year at the District. High School. Forty boys and 48 girls-took instruction in agriculture, but this year only 26 boys, and 23 girls have enrolled at two schools and none at the third. Th’e majority of the pupils work for matriculation, and as agriculture does not fit in they cannot graft agriculture on to the ordinary secondary course. Mr Brown therefore recommends thata resident continuation school bo established. He visited 20 primary schools, where gardening and elementary agriculture is taught, and addressed the', teachers. A conference was held last Saturday of the instructor, inspectors and headmasters of the district high schools,and members of the Board, at which it was resolved to make agriculture a chief subject at the District High School, and to ask the Department to modify the conditions of capitation for agriculture in Standard VI. It was also •resolved that the Boards be asked to make more liberal provision for agriculture in scholarship regulations, and that district high schools, adopting a course in agriculture, should have an assistant taking special interest in the subject, also that it is desirable that South Canterbury should have a boarding school, an institution devoted mainly to agricultural education, on the lines of the Australian continuation school, with land for experimental and demonstration work. v The Board to-day discussed and adopted the instretor’s report and t-lie recommendations of the conference. It was agreed that agricultural inspection cannot be successful under the present conditions. It was explained that the suggested continuation school could prepare boys to enter the ordinary secondary course who now do not go to high schools. It was further suggested that the Timaru High School Board should provide the boarding school recommended.