Ames, Iowa
July 1, 2008
Iowa schools are not doing enough
to help students learn about and become involved in careers in
agricultural and life sciences, according to a review of
educational programs by the Governor's Council on Agricultural
Education.
"Most middle school and high school students have no knowledge
of the food, fiber and natural resource industry in this state,
let alone the huge number of careers available," said Robert
Martin, chair of the council who is a professor and chair of the
Department of Agricultural Education and Studies at
Iowa State University.
"This is shameful for a state that is the breadbasket of the
nation."
According to Jim Gillespie, bureau chief at the Iowa Department
of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and a representative on the
council, Iowa has more of its land mass devoted to production
agriculture than any other state. Consequently, Iowa has a vast
infrastructure and human resource base that support the
production, processing, distribution and management of these
products from the agricultural industry.
Martin said that career opportunities presented by this industry
appear to be ignored by many educational institutions across the
state.
The Governor's Council on Agricultural Education recently
drafted a recommendation that all school districts provide at
least one middle school or high school course on the food, fiber
and natural resource industry and its more than 200 career areas
that are directly related to the applied sciences of agriculture
- namely biology, physics, chemistry and economics.
According to the council, more than 16,000 high school students
in Iowa are involved in high school agriculture and FFA
programs, but this number represents a small fraction of the
potential audience.
"All middle school and high school students in Iowa should have
at least a basic knowledge of this industry, its career
opportunities and its impact on the economy of the state,"
Martin said.
The Governor's Council on Agricultural Education is an advisory
group and "think tank," appointed by Gov. Chet Culver to make
recommendations for educational programs and activities that
could be used to enhance agricultural education in Iowa. The
Council seeks to make recommendations that can be used by a
variety of groups to enhance education in and about agriculture
in Iowa.
According to the council, the seven major career pathways in
agriculture are: food products and processing systems; plant
systems; animal systems; natural resource systems; power,
structural and technical systems; environmental service systems;
and agribusiness systems. |
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