Education. 



60 



[July, 1912. 



estates to attend classes in some of the 

 above subjects during the first two 

 years. 



Degree and Post-Graduate Courses.— 

 The courses for a degree in agriculture 

 vary at different universities, but usually 

 the first year is devoted to pure science 

 and the second and third years to agri- 

 culture and agricultural science. The 

 principal difference between courses for 

 Degrees and the Diploma and Certificate 

 courses, which we have previously been 

 considering, is the increased knowledge 

 of pure science which is required for a 

 degree. It would not be practicable to 

 insist on students who intend to study 

 for a degree obtaining a thorough know- 

 ledge of practical agriculture before 

 commencing their course, as in the case 

 of these students who have not been 

 brought up on a farm this would 

 necessitate a considerable break between 

 the time they leave the secondary school 

 and proceed to the university. It is, 

 therefore, necessary that these students 

 should be given ample opportunity 

 during their course of study of obtaining 

 practical instruction on the university 

 farm and other farms in the neighbour- 

 hood, and they should be encouraged or 

 even required, to spend their vacations 

 on a farm. 



While in Scotland the number of far- 

 mers ' sons who obtain degrees is consider- 

 able, in England the number is small, and 

 of those the majority probably do not 

 intend to return to farming. It may 

 be anticipated, however, that with the 

 increased attention now being given to 

 agricultural education and the improve- 

 ment in education generally the number 

 of practical farmers possessing agricul- 

 tural degrees will steadily increase. 

 With regard to the second class of 

 student dealt with in this Report, it is 

 recommended that every inducement 

 should be given to future landowners 

 and land agents to obtain an agricultural 

 degree if they are able to devote three 



years to study at a university insti- 

 tution. 



Scholarships.— The facilities for obtain- 

 ing scholarships for courses such as are 

 considered in the Report vary greatly in 

 different counties. In a tew counties 

 no agricultural scholarships are offered 

 by the County Council ; in others, three 

 or four tenable for two or more years 

 at an agricultural college or university 

 agricultural department are awarded 

 annually ; while in Yorkshire, and even 

 more so in Lancashire, the opportunities 

 for suitable students to obtain free in- 

 struction at such courses, together with 

 a maintenance allowance appear to be 

 much greater. It is recommended that 

 every County Council should award 

 Senior Agricultural Scholarships the 

 examination for which should not be 

 limited to literary, but should include 

 some science subjects. Such scholar- 

 ships might be awarded to students of 

 not less than 16 years of age on leaving 

 the secondary school and tenable at an 

 agricultural college as soon as the holder 

 can satisfy the principal as to his know- 

 ledge of practical farming. 



There is also a great need for a larger 

 number of " open " scholarships such as 

 those awarded by the surveyors' Insti- 

 tution, and agricultural and similar 

 societies as well as private individuals, 

 are recommended to consider the ad- 

 vantage of offering such scholarships. 

 Local education authorities might also 

 consider the desirability of not limiting 

 all their scholarships to the particular 

 institution which they support 



In the appendix to the Report are 

 published summaries of the evidence 

 received from witnesses together with 

 statements showing the number, parent- 

 age, occupations, or intended occu- 

 pations of present and past students at 

 thirteen institutions in England and 

 Wales which provide courses of the 

 nature described in the Reportt 



