Wednesday, April 5, 1967 tie* in the province under the previous administration. Those monies have never been utilised, nothing has bean dona. Same member: Remark inaudible. L. George Dewar : We didn't have time to utilize although the___ Some Member : You had seven years to do it. L. George Dewar : Oh yes, but look what we did in the six or seven years. We built a fine vocational institute out here in Charlotetown, we built a provincial vocational high school in Summerside . Some Member : The federal government again. L. George Dewar : All right, Mr . Speaker , what is the federal government offer¬ ing now to you gentlemen? Offering you increased grants for capital construction for vocational education and we will certainly be looking for immediate and propmt action with respect to the expansion of vocational facilities, not only in but also in Kings County. (Applause) I believe $6,000,000 or something like that has been allocated under the new arrangement. Honourable Keir Clark :That is for capital; nothing for maintenance. L. Gearge Dewar: For capital, yea. The last matter that I would like to speak about is agricultural education. We find no mention of that made in the Speech from the Throne, and this is a very impor¬ tant factor here in this agricultural province of . In fact I believe it was the Premier, yes the present Premier of the province that made pronouncements not very long ago—a year, a year and half ago—that there should be an agricultural school in each county of the province—in each county. Now we dont hear a word about it at all, not a single word in the Draft Address with respect to this matter. However, I think that was a ridiculous idea and I think probably ft was a good idea that the Premier forgot about it, but I think he should be encouraging and assisting in every way possible the sending of more students to the Truro Agricultural College for the diploma courses. I might state, Mr. ***«<■♦"■ of Agriculture that I understand that in the last two or three years there has been an increase in the number of students going there and it was certainly encouraged in every possible way by your predecessor in office and by the Leader of the Government at that time. Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : We will send all that come along. L. George Dewar : You have what? Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : We will send any amount that comes along. L. George Dewar : I think this is a mater that should be encouraged in every way possible. Honourable Gordon L. Bennett : Why didn't you have agricultural instructors in your vocational school? L. George Dewar : We couldn't get agricultural instructors in the vocational schools. We tried it..... Honourable Gordon L. Bennett : You expect us to get them in six months? L. George Dewar : We tried it, we did get one and he stayed for a short time and left. And then we had an inquiry. It wasn't a Commission exactly but we had a Committee that worked on this matter of agricultural education in the province, and the* advised us that we couldnt consider providing agricultural schools in this province and that actually we should put more emphasis on the teaching of an agricultural comae in only one grade in school. If I remember correctly that waa in Grade Nine. Bat outside of that they didn't think there were any possibilities in the teaching of agriculture education except as general knowledge in the ordinary science subjects. —116—