A curriculum review of the farm management course at Highlands Agricultural College, Papua New Guinea : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science at Massey University

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Date
1993
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Massey University
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Abstract
Papua New Guinea P.N.G. is an Agricultural Country with over 85% of the population dependent on subsistence Agriculture for their livelihood. The country derives some 40% of its foreign earnings from Agriculture. Increased agriculture production could not be achieved without input from Agricultural Education and Training. The PNG Government established an Agricultural Education and Training Branch in the early 1960's and successfully maintained this until the mid-eighties when monitoring of curriculum development and evaluation was hampered by poor economic conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the curriculum content and, in particular the farm management component of the current Highland Agricultural College (HAC) Post Certificate Diploma (PCD) programme contained suitable and adequate management knowledge and skills training to meet the vocational needs of Rural Development Officers (RDO) To determine these a curricula comparison was made of the farm management curricula from selection of Commonwealth Agricultural Colleges and a survey questionnaire was used to seek responses from graduates of the current PCD training programme together with a small number of certificate graduates. From these studies two areas of training were identified: 1.That an advanced report writing course was needed to provide the knowledge and skills required by RDOs. 2.That an expanded current Feasibility Studies course in the PCD would be necessary to improve the management horizon of individual graduates and to overcome some management weakness experienced by aspiring RDTs.
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Papua New Guinea, Farm management -- Study and teaching, Highlands Agricultural College (Papua New Guinea)
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