ACCORDING to Agriculture Teachers’ Association of SA president and Balaklava High School lead agriculture teacher Sue Pratt, only 45 SA schools are delivering a specialised agriculture curriculum, with most of those in rural and regional areas.
This is in stark contrast to NSW, where the Education Department is introducing mandatory agriculture components into its school curriculum.
Ms Pratt also said there was a shortage of qualified and experienced agriculture teachers in the state, which was hampering efforts to improve the quality of education in the sector.
She said there were good options for tertiary agricultural studies, but by that stage many students might not be considering a career in agriculture.
So, in this week’s reader poll, we’re asking – do you think enough is being done to encourage young people to consider a career in agriculture?