Elementary agriculture for city high schools

Abstract

The experience of teaching Agriculture in the high school for a number of years has impressed upon the writer the need of a more careful selection of material than is indicated by most of the text book in Elementary Agriculture. From this broad and indefinite problem numerous problems arose. Wherein does agricultural subject-matter meet the needs of pupils? How do the needs of different pupils vary? How should the choice of subject-matter vary for different pupils? It appears that the needs of only those students who are to continue into college have been considered or that what is best to prepare for college is best to prepare for life. It is known that a very small percent of the pupils of the public school remains to graduate from the high school and a much smaller percent enters a high institution. It is being seriously questioned whether the training that prepares best for college prepares best for life if the student does not continue through to the college. It is not the purpose of this study to discuss the means of preventing withdrawals from school, but to suggest for high school students a line of work closely connected with the activities of life and yet not vocational in its purpose.