Calls for farm schools were common in early New Zealand education debates. Photo / 123rf
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day. In this week’s Pastures Past, she’s found newspaper articles on agricultural education from 1905, 1924, and 1948.
Agricultural education has come a long way.
In the early 1900s, agriculture was introduced into school curricula, but it often gave way to more traditional academic subjects.
Farming was widely regarded as practical work rather than a scientific career.
In 1924, the Poverty Bay Herald reported on an intelligence test which claimed that “the average agricultural pupils were at least a year and a half behind the other pupils as far as mental abilities went”.
This reflected prevailing attitudes rather than any proven truth.
Fast forward to today, and agriculture is a vital and respected industry.
Modern courses cover everything from agribusiness to environmental science, and students are trained in cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices.
While there are strong post-school pathways, integrating agriculture into primary and secondary education remains challenging, despite initiatives such as Agribusiness in Schools.
Below is a selection of historical stories from the Whanganui Chronicle and Poverty Bay Herald on agricultural education from 1905, 1924, and 1948.
Wanganui Chronicle, October 21, 1905
Correspondence.
To the Editor
Sir,—I think it is time that this colony opened free farm schools to encourage our boys to follow agricultural pursuits, as we want a yeoman population.
If we spent thousands of pounds annually teaching the boys town trades in the State technical schools, I think that thousands extra should be spent on agricultural schools, where our boys would be taught to become first producers, and not competitors with the English immigrant town workers.
The Wellington Education Board are moving in the matter.
Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales have State Agricultural Colleges.
—l am, etc.,
J PEARSON.
Poverty Bay Herald, June 20, 1924
Systematic instruction urged.
Speeding up the “duds.”
(Per Press Association.)
Wellington, this day.
Agricultural education was discussed by the Council of Education to-day.
A motion urging the Department to systematise instruction was carried.
Mr. Banks (Rangiora) said that something should be done towards setting up a committee of experts to go into details.
Mr. Banks (Auckland) thought Ruakura and Weraroa farms should be established as agricultural high schools under the control of the Education Department, not the Agricultural Department.
Mr. Milner (Waitaki) said that when boys at his school finished their agricultural course they found great difficulty in going on to universities.
It would be found that the agricultural course in secondary schools was little more than an academic course.
Dr. Marsden said that what was really wanted was a ruralised course in secondary schools as a whole.
There was no use hiding the fact that average pupils taking the agricultural course were “duds.”
The intelligence test had made the discovery that the average agricultural pupils were at least a year and a half behind the other pupils as far as mental abilities went.
The following resolutions were carried: “That the Department be urged, to systematise agricultural instruction from primary schools to the university, and that curricula in post primary schools be broadened in this direction, and that the matriculation examination he amended accordingly; that the Government experimental farms and Lincoln College be turned into agricultural high schools under the control at least as far as the teaching is concerned, of the” Minister of Education.”
Wanganui Chronicle, April 29, 1948
(O.C.) Raetihi, April 28.
The urgent need for the establishment of an agricultural high school was stressed at the meeting of householders held at Raetihi on Monday evening.
Speakers—the majority of whom were farmers—were unanimously of the opinion that the facilities at present offering were unsuitable to students requiring a knowledge of high country farming, and the position could only be met by the establishment of a college on some part of the Main Trunk.
After considerable discussion, the motion was carried:—
“That this meeting of householders, recognising the lack of facilities for training in hill country farming, strongly recommends that an agricultural high school be established in the Waimarino.”
A copy of the resolution is to be forwarded to the Education Board and another to the district branch of the Federated Farmers, who will be urged to give their support to the proposal.
- Source: Papers Past