surveys brought to light the fact that in many rural communities served by departments of vocational agriculture, there are large groups of young farmers who have had a basic training in agriculture in high school and that these your men constitute a new element of strength in the part-time program of instructio The part-time program in agriculture has, as a result of past experience, taken several new turns during the ycar. The part-time class in which the minimum traditional unit of ten lessons was taught is being superseded by the class which operates for a full 12 months' period and provides for as many sessions as the local situation demands. Instruction in economic subjects is being offered in connection with instruction in civic and social problems and in recreational activities. Former students of vocational agriculture take the lead in recruiting and holding these part-time groups together. In an increasing number of Stater this is accomplished through the setting up of a definite organization for out-of-school farm youth. Among the problems with which teachers who attempted to organize parttime classes during the year were confronted wore the following: Difficulty in arranging for heat during class periods; a feeling on the part of school authorities that part-time work is not "regular school work"; lack of provision for additional travel allowance for teachers in following up class instruction; and the necessity of handling part-time work in connection with a burdensome allday teaching load. Those problems are rapidly being solved, and there is every indication that part-time instruction programs will develop and expand in the next few years to a much greater degree than they have in the past. Evening Classes for Adult Farmers The period of emergency has had a direct influence upon the type of evening school instruction for adult farmers. Teachers of agriculture contrib uted their bit to the agricultural adjustment projects carried on by the Federal Government by offering systematic instruction in evening school classes on prob lems concerned with crop reduction, farm taxation, land use, farm credit, and similar subjects. With the passing of the emergency, however, evening school interest has shifted. During the past year instruction has been offered on such subjects as soil conservation, current public problems, the tariff, and the cur rent agricultural outlook. A renewed interest in problems of farm management and farm mechanics was in evidence. Another interesting development is taking place in evening school work, particularly in some of the Southern States, there the instruction courses and content center around the general theme of "the farm as a unit". Instruction is based upon the solution of specific problems concerned in building up the fam and emphasizes the relationship of these problems to other farm activities as w as to the farming activities in the community as a whole. Such a plan tends to bring out the need for follow-up instruction programs based upon the realization of adult farmers of their need for further help in their farming operations. Diagram IV, it will be noted, shows that there was a slight reduction in the enrollment in evening agricultural classes. This reduction may be 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1930 1939 1940 1941 accounted for on several grounds. Perhaps the principal reason is the increased load thrown upon vocational agriculture instructors in acquainting farmers with the activities and policies of such emergency organizations as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Soil Conservation Service, the Farm Credit Administration, and the Civilian Conservation Corps. While many of the meetings held by agricultural teachers to acquaint farmers with the policies of these emergency organizations were evening meetings, they could not be classed as evening classes under the generally accepted definition of such classes. Incidentally, it was necessary for teachers to devote so much of their time to these cooperative activities that they were unable to give as much time as formerly to regular evening school classes. Another factor which contributed to the reduction in evening, agricultural class enrollment is the tendency to limit the size of such classes in order to permit more effective instruction. Farmers who are already established and those who desire to take up farming for the first time are pioneering in problems just as difficult as those attendant upon conquering the wilderness. The problems of the present-day farmer are those of economic rather than physical adjustment, of securing parity of purchasing power, of securing farm conveniences and comforts in the farm home, and of making social adjustments attendant upon improved communication facilities and increased leisure time. With these facts and the great movement of people from urban to rural areas in mind, the Federal Office has continued to extend to the States such assistance as they need and request in the promotion of evening school instruction work as an integral part of the agricultural teacher's program. Teacher Training An exceptional load has been placed during the past year upon the program set up for the training of prospective teachers of vocational agriculture, in supplying the increased demand for such teachers. This demand has been due in large part to the resignation of hundreds of capable, well-trained, and experienced teachers to accept employment at materially higher compensation as workers in the adjustment and recovery agencies of the government. Marked progress has been made in the improvement of the regular teacher-training programs maintained in 71 colleges and universities for the purpose of training white and Negro teachers of vocational agriculture. The specialist in teacher training for the Office of Education has given assistance in specific teacher training problems to 23 of these institutions during the year, and other members of the Federal staff also have rendered assistance in developing major teachertraining functions and in strengthening the program for teacher preparation on the preemployment and in-service levels, in every State. Regional Developments North Region There is an increasing recognition on the part of State supervisors of agriculture of the fact that rural youth of the State present an important social problem. Many of there youth are employed, but for only a part of the time. They tend to congregate in the community centers where, for the most part, they receive no guidance in social and recreational activities. A wellrounded program of part-time school activities is a most important aid in solving this rural social problem. Training in agriculture on the college level is provided uniformly in this region at the State colleges of agriculture. While enrollment has remained about normal, the number of young men who are preparing to teach vocational agriculture has in most States been relatively small. Special attention is now being given throughout the region to inducing more young men to enter the agricultural college to prepare for careers as teachers of vocational agriculture. There is encouraging evidence at this time that this effort is proviz successful. The number of graduates of vocational agriculture who enter colleg of agriculture is increasing each year. In the past several years, however; a large number of them, attracted by the higher salaries paid in other fields, have been preparing for employment in those fields. It would seer natural that in the States of this region, whose interests are largely industrial, the number of part-time farmers residing on farms and earning only part of their living from the farm, should increase. This is due in part to the return to the farm of persons formerly employed in other occupations. Another group in these States is made up of those who reside on farms too small to yield a complete living even in normal times, except through specialization on lines not now profitable. The trend toward part-time farming in the region appears likely to be permanent in some degree. This means that in the future development of the program of vocational education in agriculture in these States it will be necessary to set up a special program to serve the part-time farming group. In Ohio a New School Foundation program has been put into effect, which guarantees a minimum program of education for every elementary and sacondary school pupil in the State. This has placed practically all of the school districts in the State in much better condition financially. As a result the salaries of a large number of vocational agriculture teachers were raised during the year to moot salary requirements of the Foundation program. This improved, financial condition of the local school districts has brought about an increas demand for new departents of vocational agriculture in high schools. The dcmand is coming from school districts with good teaching facilities and satisfactory farm-boy enrollment. Three main objectives have been set up by those responsible for agricultural education in several. States of the North Atlantic Region, as follows: 1. Continuance of a survey of agricultural occupations and the dominant occupations of rural communities |