A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



Vol. XVI. No. 407. 



BARBADOS. DECEMBER 1, 1917. 



P&ICE Icf. 



Stimulation of Interest in Education. 



fN the last issue of this .Journal attention 

 ^was drawn to the stimulus thr.t is likely to 



Jbe given to educational questions by the 



appLintment in St. Lucia of a Commission to enquire 

 into and report upon these matters on broad lines; atten- 

 tion was directed to the agricultural aspect of the matter, 

 particularly with respect to primary teaching. The aspect 

 as regards secondary teaching may now be considered. 



In the first place it may be suggested that the 

 higher form of education is, if anything, of even greater 

 importance than the lower, for the higher form touches 

 immediately those youths who, on reaching maturity, 



are likely to have much inHuence on the general 

 direction of affairs, whether in matters relating to the 

 government of the colony, the conduct of commercial 

 business, or the oversight and direction of agricultural 

 matters: it is obvious that it is essential that those who 

 are, in their several degrees, to guide affairs must be 

 trained to think soundly, or there can be little progress 

 or development. 



It is open to question whether, particularly in the 

 smaller colonies of the West Indies, secondary educa- 

 tion has had as much care on the pare of the State 

 as it really warrants. It would seem that the Depart- 

 ments of Education have been concerned more with 

 prunary than with secondary education,|'the latter 

 being left more to private enterprise and personal 

 direction, with comparatively little government supervi- 

 sion, though it has received a measure of government 

 assistance. 



While it is generally admitted that it is most 

 desirable, and even vitally necessary, to include ^the 

 teaching of science in the curriculum of the secondary 

 schools of the West Indies, and that the science 

 taught shall have largely a bearing on agriculture, it 

 must be admitted that what has been efilected in this 

 direction falls short of what is to be desired. 



It will be useful to remind our readers that this 

 aspect of the case was prominentlj- to the fore when 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture was estab- 

 lished, and liberal monetary grants were made 

 by the Mother Cauntry for the assistance of these 

 Colonies. What was done in this connexion is 

 summarized in the WeM Indian BailcUn, Vol. XI, 

 p. 440, From this it will be seen that for nine 

 years payment was made from Imperial funds 



