Public backlash saves ag & hort in NZ schools

The ministry had proposed that these subjects should be downgraded to a 'vocational level' - meaning the focus would be on practical farm and orchard skills and not provide an academic pathway to degree courses at university level. In other words, ag and hort were to be dumbed down in schools.

This move was seen as outrageous and unbelievable by ag teachers, academics and industry leaders when announced with much fanfare by the Ministry.

Ironically, the announcement came just days after a front page story in Rural News September 9 issue stating there was a huge upsurge in demand from students right around the country to do the standalone courses in agri business, agriculture and horticulture. Also, that more than 200 schools were already teaching agriculture and horticulture and 100 teaching agribusiness. It went on to say that to meet this demand, Massey University and the ag and hort teachers were planning to run special courses to upskill teachers in these subject areas.

Particularly concerning was the fact the organisation that represents the teachers of these subjects, the Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) was not consulted on the proposed changes, and they were blindsided by the move and not given any pre-warning of them.

Literally within minutes of Stanford's announcement, the phones ran hot and emails flooded into the Beehive and MoE to point out the folly of the proposal. Clearly the Minister was caught by surprise and embarassed at the strength and breadth of the opposition to the MoE's proposal. Given the weight and size of the opposition, Stanford quickly ordered the ministry to check the validity and integrity of its advice.

Over the next few days, ministry officials pondered over their initial advice and deemed it flawed. A day later they issued a press statement saying they had "reviewed and revised" their advice and decided that agriculture and horticulture would be standalone academic subjects and that agri business would be merged with general business studies. But there was no real apology for what turned out to be a major error on their part, and one that left their Minister red-faced.

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Happy Ag Teachers

Kerry Allen of the Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) says they are very pleased and excited at the Minister's change of heart.

She says it was particularly pleasing the way educators and industry worked together to get the desired outcome - the restoration of agriculture and horticulture science in the academic pathway.

"We would have liked to have had agribusiness as a standalone subject but we are not unhappy that it will be integrated into the business studies curriculum," she told Rural News. 

"Potentially that may have a wider audience so we might be able to pick up more students than we had before and that is a win as well," she said.

Allen said that following the initial announcement by Stanford they voiced their concerns to her and then had ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Education that led to the outcome they wanted.

She says she has no real insight into why the MoE made its original decisions but she wonders whether earlier discussions with industry about making changes to the vocational courses may have resulted in the importance of the academic courses being overlooked.

Allen said she hopes that in future HATA will be consulted.

"Finally, HATA would like to thank all the support they had from educationalists and industry, and also the Minister and her team for reversing the changes. I am thankful she [Stanford] listened to HATA and the Agribusiness in Schools team. Potentially she didn't have to, and we are grateful that she did," she said.