Do you think "farming" should be a part of school curriculum?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (218868)
Walnut Creek, California
October 2, 2015 10:37pm CST
One of my fondest memories of elementary school is the little gardens we had in fifth or sixth grade. Each of us had a little plot, and we grew--I can't remember what--probably lettuce, green beans and other fairly hearty "crops."
Since I've been working with kids, one of my favorite things to do is to teach them "farming." I like growing corn, green beans, snow peas, sunflowers and squash, and all of the kids I've worked with have enjoyed planting, watering, fertilizing, and harvesting.
That includes kids as young as two or three and as old as 14. It also includes very poor kids (at a mother-and-child drug rehab where I worked in Oakland) and upper-middle-class kids (at the preschool where I currently volunteer in Berkeley).
Gardening/farming teaches a lot of things, including patience, the value of hard work, science, and self-sufficiency. It's also just plain fun!
Was gardening a part of your preschool or school experience? Do you think it should be?
7 people like this
7 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
8 Oct 15
It would not be a suitable topic for basic education, which is geared to cover a range of subjects such as History, Mathematics, Woodwork and a foreign language etcetera. These are chosen due to being a good basis from which to prepare for further education.
Students start to specialise in certain areas from that point onwards, making Farming more suitable as a subject for further education.
@vandana7 (100288)
• India
29 May 16
It was. Kitchen gardening. :) Never got to practice it. But it was. :) Is that you Pony? You look really happy with kids...and the kids are looking really happy with you too...by any chance the boy on extreme left pulling hair of the girl sitting down...trust little boys to do that..lol
@SandyElise (49)
• United States
3 Oct 15
The most we ever did was grow a Lima bean in a cup of dirt. Although I'm not much into gardening, I think that's something that could benifit children in the long run. Even if they don't stick with it later in life...
1 person likes this
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
17 Jan 16
It's good someone is showing kids how to be self sufficient. Gardening is becoming a lost art. I don't personally have a garden now. Growing up we did though. I think gardening should be taught in schools. It actually is here. You are right, it teaches many skills and science.