100 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD, 



Rural Education in England.— At the request of the Central Land Association, 

 the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and the Farmers' Club, an important con- 

 ference of the County Councils' Association was held at Caxton Hall, West- 

 minster, on March 31, for the discussion of rural education in its various grades. 



A resolution to the effect "that local education authorities should aim at 

 securing better instruction in rural subjects, and that the teaching should be 

 adapted to the circumstances of country life ; school gardens and equipment for 

 manual instruction should be provided, and elementary school teachers should 

 be specially trained for their work," was referred to a special committee. It 

 was pointed out that while it is nearly 40 years since elementary education was 

 taken over by the Government, it is only in recent years that the education of 

 the country child has begun to be related to his environment. 



The conference urged that the more promising children be sent to secondary 

 schools to receive instruction in nature study and elementary science in close 

 connection with practical work in the workshop and garden, and suggested 

 further that (1) the elementary and secondary schools remain under the board 

 of education, but the more special agricultural education should be dealt with 

 by the board of agriculture, and that (2) each group of counties be connected 

 with some agricultural college which should educate students sent to it and also 

 give lectures and other instruction to farmers who can not attend college, as is 

 being done in some counties. 



Nature Study and Elementary School Agriculture. — The Xatiirc-Study Revieiv 

 for April presents a symposium on nature study and elementary school agri- 

 culture by D. J. Crosby, specialist of this Office in agricultural education, 

 F. L. Stevens, of the North Carolina College and Station, C. H. Robison of 

 the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair, and Dean Davenport of 

 Illinois. To these papers is added part of an address by Dr. A. S. Draper, 

 State commissioner of education of New York, on the same topic. 



The general trend of these discussions favors the large use of agricultural 

 material for all rural nature-study work. Dean Davenport describes such 

 work as " nature study plus utility ; " but Dr. Draper holds that " the education 

 of the rural child is not to be narrowed down to things rural," and that ele- 

 mentary work nuist have a universal interest. 



Iowa Vacation Farm School. — The Journal of Education for April 8 contains 

 an illustrated reference to the plan of a vacation farm school which is being 

 developed by Principal P. J. Horchem, of the Audubon School, Dubuque, Iowa. 

 This plan aims to provide useful educational employment for town school boys 

 during the summer vacation, and its projector hopes ultimately to develop it 

 into a new system of public education based upon agricultural work as the 

 central factor. 



Home Education. — Announcements have been sent out for the Third Interna- 

 tional Congress for Home Education, to be held at Brussels. Belgium, in 1910. 

 The congress will consist of five sections: (1) The study of childhood, (2) the 

 education of children, (3) abnoi'mal children, (4) various subjects relating to 

 childhood, and (5) publications. The secretary of the congress is Mr. L. 

 Pien, 44 Rubens street, Brussels. 



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