ABN Number 81 639 285 642

President Secretary Treasurer Graeme Harris Nicolet Westerhof Laura Tolley Farrer MAHS Elizabeth Macarthur H.S Farrer MAHS 585 Calala Lane Waterworth Drive 585 Calala Lane TAMWORTH 2340 NARELLAN 2567 TAMWORTH 2340 02 67648660 (W) 02 4646 1899 (P) 02 67648660 (W) 02 67648669 (F) 02 4647 1569 (F) 02 67648669 (F) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Parliament of Victoria. Inquiry into Agricultural Education and Training Response on behalf of NSW Association of Agriculture Teachers

There are two requirements for meeting the training needs of Australian agriculture for the 21st Century,. They are 1. A skilled group of scientists and advisors to assist farmers in adapting to climate change, and ensuring food security for Australia and the world. Many people currently in these positions are due to retire in the next few years and there will be severe capacity restraints due to the shortfall between training places ( and enrolments ) in degree and higher qualification areas compared to demand. 2. Managers and workers who can implement management plans in the wide range of agricultural enterprises and sectors to meet environmental and productivity targets in an economically viable manner. The shortages that currently exist for farm employees due to competition with the mining industry will be exacerbated by the rapidly aging farming population. These shortages have been identified in the AgriFood Skills Australia 2010 Environment Scan Thus it is apparent that Agricultural education must cater to these two different demands whilst allowing people to move from one strand to the other. This dichotomy is represented at secondary and tertiary level training institutions . In schools it is therefore important for students to gain awareness of the importance of food and fibre production in the modern world and the need to respect those who have the knowledge and skills to produce these products in an environmentally sustainable way. Thus the possible inclusion of Agriculture in the National Curriculum within the Technologies Syllabus is critical and the need for a stand alone course rather than a short strand within a Technologies course cannot be ignored. Similarly agriculture must be highlighted within the proposed Sustainability focus within the National Curriculum across P-12 syllabi. Similarly the provision of a more practical skills based course also is needed. This can be in the form of VET based courses which permit a wide range of skills to be gained drawn from the AHC10 National Training Package. Any syllabus must permit the widest choice possible so that the skills developed are appropriate for the local community and employment needs. Thus in Urban areas a course which focuses on intensive food production , nursery and amenity horticulture may be appropriate whilst in Irrigation areas a different skill set would be more appropriate whilst extensive grazing areas such as north western Victoria may be better suited with a range of animal and cropping units.

V1 2010 NSW Association of Agriculture Teachers The development of flexible course offerings may enhance student engagement, increase retention rates in schools, increase school and community links, and perhaps most importantly build capacity within rural communities through increased awareness of the potential for employment in rural areas and encourage local youth to remain in their community.

In NSW a large number of schools currently cater to students through a stand alone subject called Agricultural Technology in Years 7-10, which has some science and some skills taught through a series of Enterprise studies. The selection of enterprise depends upon the school and its community. A small number of schools also have VET in year 9-10.

In the senior years in NSW Students may undertake “Agriculture “ for the HSC and/or a VET course “Primary Industries ”( This syllabus is currently under review due to the introduction of the AHC10 Training Package) Comprehensive High Schools and small Central schools often choose to offer only one of the above depending upon resourcing and having suitably qualified staff. A small number of specialist Agricultural High Schools also exist which have a focus on Agriculture. Within this sector the two metropolitan schools are more focussed upon the Scientific aspects of agriculture whilst the other two (Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School and Agricultural High School) are more focussed on the Vocational nature of agriculture with a smaller number of student involved in the more scientific studies. (A review of these were conducted as part of the “Hurlstone Inquiry” conducted in 2009 by Chair Mal Peeters for the NSW Parliament) An interesting book which describes the development of Agricultural Education in NSW was published by John D Spencer “Principals and Principles in Agricultural Education” self published. Should the inquiry wish to access this text a copy is held at Farrer MAHS by Mr Graeme Harris, Head Teacher Agriculture). Many schools with excellent programs include High School, The Armidale School (TAS), High School, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School and many others.

Significant gaps are appearing in the skill set for new Agriculture Teachers in the authors opinion as there are only two institutions in NSW training Agriculture teachers. They are UNE which requires teachers to have a strong agricultural science background. (These students are generally excellent teachers due to their understanding of the underpinning principles of Agricultural Production with a sound practical background) and CSU which trains teachers as Technology and Applied Studies teachers. Some of these students undertake an agriculture method and have had little exposure to science since year 10 and some have very limited exposure to agriculture and their capacity to provide quality training is restricted. There are however the majority of CSU students who make fine teachers.

A number of groups are interested in enhancing public perceptions and attracting young people into Agriculture. These include PIEF, PICSE, NFF , AgriFood Skills and others. They may be able to better contribute to the inquiry in some of the matters under investigation

Graeme Harris B.Sc Agr (Educ) COGE President NSW Association of Agricultural Teachers,

This submission is on behalf and with the approval of the executive of the Association.

V1 2010 NSW Association of Agriculture Teachers