Evening star., 1934-04-29

culture and $50 students were er
classes at these schools.
This total registration of students
in farm-training courses is the highest
ever recorded in the history of the
program. Indeed, the enrolment has
doubled in the last five years and
trebled in the last ten years. In ad-
dition to these gratifying figures re-
garding enrollmentS, substantial ad-
vancements have been made in the ef-
fectiveness Of the vocational training.
For more than 20 years, through
special legislative enactments, voca-
tional training for farming occupa-
tions has been a definite part of the
public education program in New
York. BY direct appropriation the
State maintains six special schools of
agriculture, located at Alfred, Canton,
Cobleskill, Delhi, Farmingdale and
Morrisville. Until 1926 special State
aid was available to the local dis
tricts offering agricultural courses.
After that date, however, special aid
was withdrawn, but every possible
encouragement and assistance was
provided by the State Education De-
tricts serving farming patronage
area. to add agricultural courses as
a part of the minimum educational
service. Since 1926 the number of
high schools offering these courses
has doubled.
Agricultural education is as old as
man. 1t may be organized or unor-
ganiZed; directed or undirected. In
its unorganized and undirected forms,
1t goes back to the earliest time that
one man taught another how to per-
form work In tilling the soil or rails
ing animals. In its organized and di-
rected forms, it now appears as part
OF q Nationwide effort to train by
systematic means persons to perform
work skillfully, to make wise judg-
ment and to deal effectively with
others in earning a living. Our ex-
perience, since the turn of the CEN
tury indicates that modern vocational
education should rest upon at least
four fundamental principles. These
are:
Purposes Outlined.
I. The controlling purpose Of vo-
cational courses Is to train persons
for occupational efficiency In those
callings which contribute to our ma
tional well being. Thus, persons who
enter upon such training should do
SO after thorough and thoughtful
consideration of their own interests,
abilities, ambitions, handicaps and
experience.
2. Each vocation for which train
ing is provided may be broken down
into specific abilities, involving op-
erative skill, managerial talent and
social ability. Thus, vocational train
ing should be undertaken upon as
broad foundation of general edu-
cation as is consistent with the abil-
ity of the individual to receive. At
the State schools of agriculture. for
example, 60 per cent of the fresh
men for the present year are high
school graduates, and Sc per cent
Of this group have had two years or
more of high school training. In the
high school departments of agricul-
ture the background of general edu-
cation is provided in the agricultural
curriculum by four years of English
and elective courses in history, science,
mathematics. economics and citizen
ship.
8. The methods Of teaching to car
ry forward these purposes should
center about the provision of practi-
cal settings, which are typical of life
activities In which the pupils may
be trained, and should provide maxi
mum Of individual instruction for
pupils.
I. 1t is the responsibility of the vo-
cational school to assist students to
make a satisfactory entry into the
vocation for which training has been
received, and to assist them in meet
ing particular problems of organiza-
tion and management and in meeting
new and changing conditions.
The writer shall be able to illustrate
only partially, ways and means ir
which these principles find express
sion In the schools. Perhaps the most
desirable way to present such an il
lustration Is to describe an actual case
Typical Case Cited.
Dane McGregor, who is 10 years Of
age, completed a four-year farm
training program at the Endicott High
School last June. For his first year
Of practical work he purchased and
managed 40 white leghorns, grew one
acre of cabbage, took an active part
in caponizing cockerels and assisted ir
managing the 1o,0oo-egg incubator.
For the next year he continued
his leghorns, added a half acre OF
sweet corn to his enterprise, took in
creased responsibility for keeping the
farm equipment in repair. For the
third year OF work he expanded his
poultry enterprise to $500 white leg
horns, grew 10 acres Of cabbage, three
acres Of potatoes and three acres OF
sweet corn. He added increased re-
sponsibility for managing the incu-
bator. BY this time he had acquired
and shipping broilers.
For his last year of practical work
he managed and was financially re-
sponsible for 5000 white leghorns, and
raised 1000 baby chicks. He grew
three acres of potatoes, three acres OF
sweet corn and one-half acre of cab
bage. Now he was competent to TAKE
over a large part of the operation
of the incubator. He undertook the
rearrangement and remodeling of the
poultry houses and yards, in order te
make a more efficient unit.
At present this youth is in part
nership with his father in substan.
tial poultry business, his share being
about Is per cent of the net profits
Dane has at present 1888 in a saving,
bank. During the training program
he retuEned a large share of hi.
earnings back into the business. Ht
was vice president Of the local chap.
ter Of the Future Farmers of Americs