The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
Agricultural Education
In Secondary Schools

have been added in recent ycars.) Tho
high school courses were therefore nd
mirnbly adapted to those desiring 10
become teachers or university students,
but they failed to r1eet the needs Of tho
Eroat majority Of tho pupils passing
through the public scho ols. In other
words, our high schools belonged 10 the
classical type. AS feeders to tho univer-
sity they were excellent. but rs training
agents for best service In life's duties Of
tho boys and girls who did not care to
taase q university course they we're fall
ures Many bright sons have been lost
to the farms Of Ontario through atten-
dance at the high school. They desired
simply to get a better education than
was possible Mt the public schools as nm
equipment for their lfework, but once
within the walls of tho high school they
were compelled to face about md
march" for the college or university for
tho course Of studies gave them no al-
Tentative. l have not reference here to
those farm boys who had, no love for
farm life and who wished to go into
other professions For such boys the
courses were we'll adopted. 1t was com
paratively easy for a boy aiming at a
profession to get an education, but 1t
was difficult for O farmers boy to get
his professional training, because there
faced him toward the agricultural college.
Our high schools trained the few and
neglected the many.
Allow me to digress for moment No
discuss the needs OF high schools, and tho
relationship they should bear to tho
elementary schools although this latter
point has been discussed somewhat fully
by previous speakers. In most cases tho
secondary or high schools have not been
closely related in the past to the public
elementary schools. So long, Of course,
as the idea prevailed thatslt was not the
duty OF the State to provide an education
for It's people, high schools were COM
paratively few, ind were supported by
private or church funds. But with the
growth OF democratic ideas OF equality
tho State assumed nh, control OF the lri-
/ mary schools and every child Of tho
State could receive q free elementary
education This was one OF the greatest
4 advances in the history of education, and
\ forms an epoch making even II, the
A civilization of the world.
j With the acceptance Of the idea that
the public schools arc the charge OF the
\ State there developed among the better
classes the other idea that high or sec
ondary schools, which are after all sup
'tplementary to the elementary. should
4, also be placed under State charge and
j made as free as possible. This idea has
not been universally accepted, and there
i are many well-meaning persons who
4 state most emphatically that the child
who desires something better than that
which the public school can give him,
should pay for that better education.
But all arguments in favor Of State-sup-
ported elementary schools hold true also
for State-supported high scho OILS. The
net result is educated citizens with abili-
ties for service cnormo usly increased
Every department Of modern life with It's
i copstant change In industrial conditions,
n due to new applications OF science, de-
mands better training and sreu,e,
adaptibilty on the part OF every citizen
i and no department requires greater train
Ing and adaptabilty than agriculture
under modern conditions. Science has
furnished an immense amount OF Ysable
information that has practically revou
tionized the older methods OF agriculture
and It is very important that the coming
rural citizens should enter into the pos
session Of this information with the abil-
ity to apply the new knowledge to prac-
teal ends ITO bring together different
portions of knowledge into new com
binations. to realize quickly the bearing
n OF new Developments OF knowledge upon
customary ways Of doing things and
upon the probable demand for new, Kind
OF service" and to reason clearly.
Besides trained intelligence the rura
J citizen should have sympathetic inter.
est in the world Of nature around him: hi
should see something OF the beauty Of thu
web OF life, and understand that his ply,
! steal welfare depends largely upon hi
obedience to the laws OF nature that h
has tried to grasp.
"A More than these, the cultivators OF the
soil require training in organization ant
!. cooperation. for these spell success II
y agriculture as they do in other CONNER
81 cial lines For ages the farmer did no
feel much need for cooperation; he re
quired little beyond his own farm h
was sclf-contained. His earnings wer
small In spite of the hard work. and h
had no desire to speculate, lest he los
his hard learned money. He became lnds
pendent, but his independence prcvente'
him from getting all he could from hi
J land. He stunned cooperation In mat
x ters OF common interest to all his neigh
bors. The products of his farm went Of
the market alone, very frequently IN u
convenient and unattractive forms. Lat
terly, however. through the general desil
4 to have good roads. good ,oc;,l govern
= ment good schols and good churches Il
spirit OF cooperation is invading tt
communities.
In matters OF modern co-operatio
power Of organization Is demanded
z which requires not only persistent al
plication OF tho mind ana habltuai nc
curacy in details, but also wide rang
of knowledge. the trained use of the i'm
gination and readiness to work wi
other people,
d This power of organization, SO csser
N tial then to modern agricultural conc
tons, can be developed by properly CO
n Quoted agricultural high schools, each or
!? of which should be an embryonic con
10 munity life, active in the type OF O
equations that reflect the life Of Il
society outside" dewey, The School a.
Society Such q high school. when a
n tive occupations, elementary science a.
III nature study predominant the curriculum
Nj will stimulate the pupils to take Il great
NJ interest In rural life and will make the
II more adaptive to the changing conc
III ions Of modern life.
III IT is plain that as high schools are
Il necessity under modern conditions, thu
II should be supplementary to the elemen
II nry schools and should continue the wol
HI of the latter, so as to prepare tho puI
IN for tho best service in hts comnlunit
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