Thursday, May 29, 2008 Speak out: Gardening By Luis J. Almacen Agriculture Consultant, Medellin, Cebu
BY just looking inside some elementary schools nowadays, we can safely conclude that gardening is no longer emphasized.
It seems that gardening in school and at home is no longer part of the curriculum.
In many elementary schools, sites suitable for gardening and for teaching pupils how to raise vegetables are being planted with gemelina trees.
But which has more educational value, the planting of gemelina trees or the raising of vegetables?
It is high time Department of Education (DepEd) officials re-think this point, especially now that we are facing a food crisis.
During my elementary days, not only did we have presentable individual school gardens but were also required to make good home gardens. Our teacher would visit our home to find out if we have a garden.
According to North H, Foreman in his book “School and Home Gardening” (Manila: Bureau of Public Schools, 1951), the objects of school gardening are:
(1) To teach pupils the correct methods of producing important vegetables that will successfully grow in the community through proper seed selection and intensive cultivation;
(2) To teach the pupils to produce abundant and greater variety of vegetables;
(3) To teach the fundamental principles of gardening of plant life by having complete and practical demonstration in the school garden;
(4) To teach them to make gardens such as may be introduced in every home;
(5) To make them appreciate the dignity of labor and realize its value;
(6) To teach pupils the common law of ownership and self-reliance; and
(7) To teach them the managerial and operative jobs necessary in life.
Vegetable gardening is generally taught in elementary schools and practiced at the same time in the homes.
Children are taught how to grow properly common vegetables so the learning acquired will become a stepping to farming.
Colin M. Hoskins stressed that the school is the most effective agency for introducing new farm practices.
Good early training in scientific gardening in childhood and practiced until adulthood prepares a person to be a scientific
farmer.
Since most of our children can finish only the elementary grades, we should equip them in the early years with enough experience in vegetable gardening.
Top DepEd high officials should begin to realize how important school and home gardening is and re-emphasize it in the curriculum, now!
