322 EDUCATION 



and county schools which are pretty generally to be found 

 scattered about the country. The Committee are disposed to 

 believe that, by the offer of liberal Government grants to pro- 

 vide the necessary equipment of the school of annual payments 

 for the use of land, for salaries of special teaching staff or other 

 expenses and, if possible, by the establishment of exhibitions, 

 scholarships, or free places, the governing bodies of many of 

 these schools would readily agree to establish an agricultural 

 side, and accept Government inspection, which would be natur- 

 ally demanded to secure that the instruction given was sufficiently 

 thorough and effective to justify the receipt of State aid. 



EDUCATION OF FARM LABOURERS. 



The Committee are strongly of opinion that, whilst more 

 scientific knowledge is absolutely required for the management 

 of a farm, it is equally necessary that the labourer of the farm 

 should certainly be afforded opportunities of improvement in 

 skill, intelligence, and knowledge. 



THE NEW EDUCATION CODE, 1890. 



They gladly recognise the alterations in the proposed new code 

 for public elementary schools, and would urge on the Govern- 

 ment that every facility should be given in rural elementary 

 schools to enable those likely to become agricultural labourers 

 to acquire the special knowledge which will induce them to take 

 an active and intelligent interest in their future work. 



NEED OF A STATE -PROVIDED SCHOOL. 



Thus far the recommendations of the Committee have been 

 based on the principle that State aid should be liberally forth- 

 coming to stimulate and assist local effort, but there remains a 

 much -needed class of school of national importance which 

 they claim should be established and maintained solely at the 

 cost of the State. 



CENTRAL NORMAL SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. 



As at South Kensington the " Normal School of Science " has 

 been built, equipped, and maintained entirely out of State funds 

 and for the national benefit in reference to trade and manu- 

 facture, so the Committee contend should a " Central Normal 

 School of Agriculture " be established and fully equipped with 

 land, buildings, and staff. 



This school should act as a training college for teachers, but 

 should take other pupils whose means admitted of an annual 

 payment of, say, 50 to 60 per annum. 



The teaching should be comprehensive and should include 

 agriculture in all its branches. 



Scientific agricultural research should form an important 

 branch of its operations. All useful and practical agricultural 



