348 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
schools in which agriculture plays an important part has shown that when the work is 
properly organised, and educationally directed, the farmers express themselves pleased 
at the provision made in the schools for dealing with agricultural principles and 
operations. ¢ 
MANUAL INSTRUCTION.—Manual training, associated with the purely agri- 
cultural work, plays an important part in the preparation for farm life. It is evident 
that, in the absence of any facilities for actual work on the land,a boy can be 
encouraged to make himself useful by learning how to use tools both for wood and 
metal work. 
It is not necessary to over-emphasise the vocational aspect of these occupations, 
since the educational value is equally great, but it is well known that boys take 
greater interest in doing things when they see and realise the usefulness of what they 
are learning. The educational value should be always present to the teacher, but it is 
the vocational aspect that appeals to boys, particularly to the type under consideration. 
This truth is recognised by the majority of headmasters. Comparatively few 
schools have neither workshop nor laboratory, although unfortunately there are very 
few schools that provide instruction in metal as well as in wood work. For the boy 
who is likely to go overseas, a knowledge of forging, of machinery and of metal work 
generally is invaluable, ‘ but it largely depends even then upon the form which this 
instruction takes whether it will be useful or not for overseas requirements.’ 
Judging from the replies given to the question whether manual training formed a 
definite part of the school curriculum, or whether it was optional, and taken out-of- 
school hours, it is evident that manual training has not yet gained the recognition it 
should receive in our schools as an educational instrument. In far too many cases 
the manual work is optional and taken during out-of-school time. In a large number 
of those schools in which the subject forms part of the curriculum it is dropped at the 
age of fourteen, some headmasters believing that ‘ manual work can be learned better 
at an institution designed specifically for the purpose.’ 
In this connection the opinion as to the age at which manual work should begin 
was unanimously in favour of the earliest possible. For work on the land the age 
suggested was about twelve to thirteen for the horticultural work, fourteen and later 
for the agricultural work. In the case of more definite field work, many considered 
it should not be taken until after the General School Certificate Examination, 7.e. 
not before sixteen years of age. 
One headmaster writes: ‘Get the interest in agricultural operations. &c., by 
creating the right atmosphere and surroundings as early as possible, but definite 
‘‘ instruction ’’ must come after the boys have received a good general education. If 
boys receive “‘ instruction ’’ too early in agriculture, the subject comes to them stale.’ 
One or two headmasters suggested that boys who take agricultural work in place 
of a second foreign language should be allowed to offer that subject for the School 
Certificate Examination. One headmaster suggested that; ‘ Facilities for passing 
out from Sixth Form to farm training with local farmers, or agricultural colleges in 
preparation for going abroad, would be appreciated.’ 
VOCATIONAL OUTLOOK—NOT TRAINING.—Some replies indicate a mis- 
interpretation of the statements contained in the prefatory note of the questionnaire. 
Some headmasters evidently supposed that it was a definite agricultural training that 
was being recommended, similar to that provided in an agricultural college for boys 
of eighteen and nineteen after leaving school. This is a complete misconception of 
the situation. It fails to realise the value of agricultural studies as an educational 
instrument, and it is misleading in its statement. It is the vocational outlook that 
is important, not the vocational training. The educational resources of land work 
when properly organised and co-ordinated with other parts of school work have been 
found to be very large. It is clearly recognised, and needs to be strongly emphasised, 
that school agricultural work cannot take the place of a definite apprenticeship on a 
farm, or of a more technical training at college. But it can, and does, give a boy an 
idea of what farming means, and a definite experience to guide him in deciding before 
it is too late whether he is fitted or not for the life of a farmer. 
EFFECT ON CHARACTER, &c.—No. 7 of the questionnaire invited head- 
masters to express an opinion as to the effect that practical work on the land had on 
(a) a boy’s attitude towards the general work of the school; (5) his character ; 
(c) his interest and employment during out-of-school time. 
In all those schools in which agricultural work has been organised as part of the 
curriculum, and in other schools where boys worked on allotments during the war, 
