6. NOTE ON AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE U.S.A.
By
DR. K. R. WILLIAMS
Vocational education in agriculture is a nation-wide federal- aided programme of systematic instruction in agriculture aNd farm mechanics of LesS-than-college grade, conducted in public schools or classes under a plan of co-operation between. State Boards for vocational education and the Office of Education, Federal Security Agency. The programme is for (i) full-time students over 14 years of age, who are regularly enrolled in school and who are preparing to become farmers; (ii) young farmers who have left the regular school and are establishing themselves in farming; (iii) adults who are improving themselves as farmers.
Programme of Instruction: The terms of the National Vocational Education Acts require that this systematic instruction in agriculture shall in every case ."provide for directed or supervised practice in agriculture, either on a farm provided for by the school or other farm, for at least six months per year". Instruction is given by teachers who are agriculture college graduates employed on a 12 month basis. These teachers follow up their instruction throughout the year by supervising farming programmes of their students on their home farms. The instruction in vocational agriculture is a combination of instruction in the school and on the home farms of the students and also on other farms in the community. It is an educational programme in which the student learns by doing. The instruction is based on the problems of the student in connection with his directed or supervised farm practice and the farming problems of the home farm and the farms of the community. Problems include the production of farm commodities, marketing of agricultural products conservation of soils and other agriculture resources, farm shop activities and in many cases the production and conservation of food for home use.
Full-time students who enroll for course in agriculture in the schools get a general training since they are also required to pursue the regular academic subjects. This entitles them to receive the high-school diploma at the end of the four year course and to enter a college or university on the same basis as graduates of the regular high-school course. In addition to the vocational agriculture course, the young farmer and the adult farmer may also take other courses that are necessary to build a well-rounded course of training.
Supervised Projects: Statistics compiled by the State Boards for Vocational Education show that students attending vocational agriculture classes in rural high schools are learning valuable lessons in farming through their supervised farm practice. Agricultural projects are set up with the co-operation of the teacher and the student. These projects are based on the farming enterprises best suited to agricultural conditions not only on the home farm of the student but also on the farms of the community. Furthermore, they are planned on a long-time basis and in such a way as to fit into the permanent farming activities of the students. The supervised practice of agricultural student has been instrumental in influencing students to adopt improved practices on their own farms and to assist in getting improved practices adopted by other farms in the community. It is a common thing for a student to earn enough money through his supervised projects to. start farming and to remain established on a productive and profitable basis.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate the value of vocational agriculture training for students enrolled in all-day, young farmer and adult farmer classes is to show what has resulted in an individual case.
296 APPENDICES [APP. VII
Examples of Accomplishment: The example may be cited of the full- time day school student in one of the vocational agriculture departments. With the help of the teacher and the co-operation of the student's father, this boy made a survey of this home farm to determine soil types and the types of farming enterprises followed and analysed the market demand for the crops raised as well as the method of getting them to market. His supervised practice work was then planned on the basis of the fact revealed by the study. As hog raising was the major farm enterprise, the student started his farm practice programme with a sow and litter project. So successful was he with this project that he was able to produce a ton litter (that is a litter of pigs, regardless, of number, which weighed 2,000 pounds at the end of 6 months) each year for 4 years. The farm survey indicated that he should have a feed crop. As his second project, he selected the raising of corn, which is an economical feed crop, and adopted to soil and climatic conditions in his area. Other enterprise-beef, cattle, sheep, goats and wheat production-became a part of a well- planned and balanced supervised practice programme ,carried on by this young man. Eventually, he purchased land of his own and formed a partnership with his father in the operation of the home farm and several additional acres of land. This young farmer, whose programme of instruction in vocational agriculture-both theoretical-was based on actual conditions on his home farm and on community farms, has won wide recognition in the markets to which he sends his products as an outstanding producer of hogs and other farm products.
Leadership Experience : Members of the Future "Farmers of America, the national organization of the all-day vocational agriculture students, are acquiring leadership ability through their own thrift banks; they are learning the principles of parliamentary procedure and are taking part in public-speaking contests which teach them to speak on the public platform. Through these activities and many others, and through the instructions in the vocational agriculture classes, they are developing into competent and successful farmers and are acquiring attributes of character and citizenship which will enable them to take their places eventually as substantial members of society in general and of their communities in particular.