594 



Education of the Farm Worker. 



[Aro., 



or four years and leading up to a degree or diploma; shorter 

 courses at the same institutions; short courses varying from 

 a few weeks to several months at farm schools and similar 

 institutions; courses of ten days or a fortnight in dairying at 

 migratory dairy schools which visit a number of different 

 centres each season; and courses of day or evening lectures, 

 accompanied in many cases by practical instruction in agri- 

 culture, poultry-keeping, bee-keeping, farriery, horticulture 

 and manual processes. Most county councils offer a number 

 of scholarships, tenable at agricultural institutions, or courses 

 to students resident in the county." 



This is very well for agricultural students, farmers' sons, 

 and, perhaps, in some cases, for smallholders. The farm 

 workers, however, are at present scarcely touched by any part 

 ■of this system. I think it can he said that there is no ordinary 

 agricultural worker at the moment enjoying any of the scholar- 

 ships referred to above. With the labourer it is the money 

 difficulty that stands in his way; and this could only be satis- 

 factorily solved by a much more generous grant of scholarships. 

 Even if elementary and continuation education were to be 

 widened out to lead a country lad up to a farm institute, money- 

 is still wanted. It may be said: " Where there's a will, there's 

 a way," and that if a boy " has it in him " he can get his 

 education. That may be so; but surely a course of education 

 should he a course of education, and not a feat of endurance! 

 Money will help; but none appears to be forthcoming, at any 

 rate in anything like sufficient quantities. That is why the 

 present outlook appears to be black. In the face of it one can 

 only urge those who really are friends of education for the 

 country lad, to keep working, in the hope that this short- 

 dghted polic}' will soon be completely set aside. 



It is perhaps nearly as dangerous in agricultural discussions 

 to bring up the question of " rural bias " in early education as 

 it is to bring up that of small holdings. I do not wish to be 

 •disrespectful to any experts in education, but I must confess to 

 my belief that the opponents of " rural bias " run to extremes. 

 There are so many aspects of agricultural education — chemistry, 

 botany, mechanics — which can fairly be regarded as valuable 

 elements in a " general " education that I believe the teaching 

 in an ordinary country school could, with great advantage, lean 

 towards agriculture very much more than it does now. In 

 describing the work of the Welshpool County School, the com- 

 bination of general and agricultural education has been thus 

 Tef erred to : — 



