1909.] Agricultural Education in the Netherlands. 371 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE 

 NETHERLANDS. 

 Douglas A. Gilchrist, M.Sc, 



Professor of Agriculture, Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 



As a result of the inquiry into Agricultural Education by a 

 Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Agricul- 

 ture> the Professor of Agriculture at Armstrong College, under 

 the direction of the Agricultural Committee of the College, 

 visited the Netherlands in March last for the purpose of in- 

 quiring into the arrangements for agricultural education, and 

 more especially into the working of the Winter Agricultural 

 Schools in that country. The following report on this visit 

 has been presented to the College authorities. Lord Reay, 

 the Chairman of the Departmental Committee, made the sug- 

 gestion to the writer of this report that a knowledge of the 

 working of these schools would be exceedingly useful, in view 

 of the desirability of similar schools being much more gener- 

 ally established in this country. As the work and place of 

 these schools could not be fully realised if they were de- 

 scribed by themselves, some particulars are also given of the 

 elementary and higher forms of education — especially agri- 

 cultural — in that country. 



'Elementary 'Education. — This is compulsory. Farmers' 

 sons and labourers' sons must be sent to the elementary 

 schools from the time they are six till they are twelve 

 years old. No teaching bearing on agriculture is given, 

 but simply a good elementary education. The tuition fees 

 are paid weekly, and amount to about 105. a year. As a 

 rule, the farm labourers' children get no more education than 

 this. Only a few take evening classes later on, but it is 

 hoped to do more in this direction in the future. 



Evening Classes. — Each village must make provision for 

 evening classes^ and these are attended mainly by the sons 

 of the small farmers. A full course in these extends over two 

 winters, and certificates are given after examination. These 

 classes are subsidised by the State, and courses are applied 

 for either by the Burgomaster or through a local society. 

 They are conducted by teachers from the elementary schools. 

 The pupils must be over fifteen years old, so that they have 

 usually had three years' experience of practical work before 



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