27 February 1981 Good response to farming course

Enrolments are under way for a new day release course in farming being offered by Christchurch Polytechnic in co-operation with Lincoln College. To date, more than 60 candidates look like enrolling for the course, which will run at centres throughout Mid and North Canterbury.

Many of these are farm cadets, but rural tutor Ken Moore says his new course is attracting general interest from people who are working on farms and want to increase their knowledge of agriculture.

“The day release classes will give the students a chance to work in company with others and to study while mentally fresh,” says Mr Moore. “And regular contact with the tutor, with the opportunity for discussion and farm visits, will be a great help to them.”

The introduction of the scheme coincides with the revision of the Trade Certificate Board’s Certificate in Farming to give a more practical emphasis.

Students enrolling for the certificate will now have to show the farmer and their tutor that they have mastered over 100 farming tasks in the areas of animal work, field work with crops and pasture, and the use of farm machinery.

Mr Moore says farmers are enthusiastic about the new task-based certificate. Many saw the old correspondence course as all theory, with little practical value. The new course offers opportunities for the trainees too, he says.

“Often these kids didn’t like school, and they left too early. Now they’re regretting it, but here’s a chance to make up a bit and earn themselves a practical qualification.

“We feel that the log book, in which they record the tasks they master, will become a valuable reference for them. With a record of tasks accomplished, they’ve got something to show employers what they’ve done, even if they don’t pass the final exam.”

Mr Moore’s own appointment is itself a new development in agricultural training. Employed by Christchurch Polytechnic, he is based at Lincoln College.

Says Mr I. W. Hall, associate director of Christchurch Polytechnic: “It was obvious with the new TCB prescriptions that the time was right for some sort of involvement on our part. After all, we traditionally work in the TCB field in all the trades.

“But we’ve never undertaken anything like this, and Lincoln has generations of experience in agricultural education. So after consideration we made a shared appointment with a polytechnic person stationed at Lincoln.

“We’re very excited about it,” says Mr Hall. “After two or three years we hope the results will speak for themselves.”

Headline: Good response to farming course
Source: Ashburton Guardian, Fri 27 Feb, 1981