Mechanization of Agriculture in our Vocational Schools

Title

Language

English

Year

1952

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Mechanization of Agricuhure in Our Vocational Schools GILBERT S. PEREZ MANY CRITICISMS have been leveled at the Philippine educational systems, both that of today and of yesterday. Some were constructive and helpful, but unfortunately, many of them were shot through with personal and other prejudices and some even bordering against accepted rules of professional ethics and protocol and consequently rende:red a great disservice to the schools and to the country. No educational systems of yesterday or the day before yesterday a.re or were perfect especially when judged from present-day social, economic and ethical standards, but all have made some definite contributions to education and to human progress. An example of destructive criticism is an article appearing in the Manila Daily Bulletin which maintains that agricultural education based upon mechanized agriculture and utilizing expensive agricultural machinery is radically wrong solely because the average f11.rmer cannot afford to purchase them. Furthermore, that such education should be limited to the method utilized and the tools found in the poor farmers home. Nothing is mentioned with reference to the possibility of the use of cooperatively and community-owned heavy and expensive modern farm equipment. Another similar and more recent article published severely criticizes the MSA for purchasing modern equipment for the agricultural schools which is an indirect attack to the government's mechanized agrictulral program and also indirectly affects all dealers in modern agncultural machinery. In other words, the future farmer would and should utilize excessively the same old one-handled plow that is the exact replica of the plow used in Egypt by farmers during the period of Tutankhamen. Should we consign Philippine agriculture to an outmoded and substandard system of which would make it impossible for the country to compete with agricultural countries which do use new methods and modern mechanized equipment? Why step back into the dim and unscientific past? Maria does not pound rice with sticks any more except in the most remote districts because the locally or cooperatively-owned rice mill is more economical and more laborsaving - relieves Maria from boredom, drudgery and backaches, preserves her health and opens to her avenues to more fruitful, more intelligent and more profitable labor. Are our agricultural schools and colleges fai~ures? Recently we received a letter from the International Labor Organization of Geneva which intend to send in April, next year, a group of 23 representatives of different countries to 11 12 THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATOR see the agricultural schools and When asked by a visitor why the colleges of the Philippines. Let Filipinos were given such pref erme quote: 'We selected Australia ence, the governor replied: 'Befor the outstanding work which cause the American system of eduthey are doing in trade and indus- eating the Filipinos has done more trial education. We have selected for them than anything that we Japan for their recent accomplish- have done in our own colonies. The ments in apprentice training and Filipinos, naturally intelligent, are placement w o r k in industrial better fitted to take responsibility plants, and we have selected the th h Philippines because we believe that an any ot er people available.' " it has the best system of second- With Filipino graduates from ary agricultural schools in the our agricultural colleges and Orient and 'is, without any doubt, schools in agronomy and animal one of the best in the world." husbandry and veterinary science Let us now quote from another source, some one who is neither a Filipino nor an American. This was taken from a recent book entitled "The Pacific World," page 153: "The system of free education provided to the people of the Philippines is m-Ol'e extensive than that fmmd in any other colonial go.vernment, and the :people- ha..-e reapended to it. This is 51lbslia:Dtiated by a eomment made not so I~ ago l\v the di&tri.ct g~n1emor ~ ~:adakfm-, British North :Born~, in reviewing the list of public o{tie~ in his area. At 1;he bead of ea,00 4epartment w.a.s, oi course, an Engli,lnpano; next below him came a Fil~llO; while lower in the list wer.e C:hinese and Malays. and with graduates of the School of Forestry, leading in forestry activities, and with graduates of Philippine colleges of engineering, all in great de)lland in this neighbo.ri11g country, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the words of the g9vernor of North Borneo is an outstanding eutogy both to America and the Philippines and a proof that, witl:i all of its supposed defects and shortcomings, it is after all not as 'bad as some prejudiced critics picture it to be. Some o:f our graduates af Mu:iioz and of Los Baiios and the School of Forestry who are now employed in North. Borneo would unhesitati:agly :say that they owe a lot to our system of agricultural and t:echnieal education, both secondary and collegia.t.e. NOTICE TO ALL PPSTA MllMBERS AB. meiUemhip fees (triennial) paid in the school year 19491950 had all expired last June 30, 1952. Death aid remittances do not take effect unless you have paid yeur membership fee of Pl.00 for the current year. The present 111embership fee is Pl.Oi for every ealendar year. The present death aid fee is Pl.00 every calendar year.

Media