New Zealand needs young people who understand the production of primary products and who value the contribution that agriculture and horticulture make to our society, economy, and culture. It needs people who are able to apply agricultural and horticultural science knowledge and skills to new situations and to the solving of agricultural or horticultural problems. Such knowledge and skills are crucial to our future, but often in short supply.
Practical work, investigations, and fieldwork stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity and offer real-life opportunities for them to develop agricultural and horticultural skills, work collaboratively, and become confident, independent learners.
The knowledge and skills that students develop through their learning in agricultural and horticultural science open pathways to a wide range of career opportunities, both in New Zealand and elsewhere. These pathways lead to careers as varied as farm consultant, turf manager, landscape designer, fencing contractor, agribusiness consultant, aerial spray technician, shearer, veterinarian, wine consultant, plant or livestock pathologist, farmhand, viticulturist, orchardist, forestry worker, and florist. They can also lead to related fields such as scientific research, packaging design, and food processing and marketing.
Agricultural and horticultural science is not an end in itself – through it, students can gain educational and personal satisfaction and the incentive to become life-long learners.
Learning in agricultural and horticultural science develops students’ understanding of the interconnectedness of people, soils, plants, and animals; the ways in which agricultural and horticultural practices impact on the environment; and how good practices sustain or enhance the environment.
Through learning in agricultural and horticultural science, students also gain valuable, transferable skills in information and communications technology, numeracy and literacy, and self-management.
Last updated September 12, 2011