Practical paths for bright futures

For most people, the year’s end is a chance to relax and reflect.

While Geraldine High School teacher Sarah Foley gets to do the latter, she’s already planning events for 2025’s cohort of agriculture students.

“Most teachers teach a sports team, or run a drama club. I do this.”

Foley is the college’s head of department for the Primary Industry Academy, a course that teaches students agriculture-related skills.

“It’s practical education.

“We’re basically [teaching] fencing, raw supply, chainsaws, bikes, and students go out to farms on placement as well.”

She has headed the programme since its inception 13 years ago, one of the first schools to trial the government-funded academy.

“Geraldine’s one of the top schools in the country for this course.

“We have students coming into Geraldine for it. We’re at the point where we can’t actually take everybody.”

More students are applying for the course than the college has funding for – 42 students were enrolled last year, despite a funding allowance of 30.

And the success rate is high, with every student in the course gaining Level 2 NCEA

(National Certificate of Educational Achievement), and most moving into ag work, Foley said.

“About 96% are in some primary industry-related job.

“The rest will go on to be builders or nurses.”

Most students follow the work, whether that’s shearing in the south or driving tractors in Australia, and their practical skills make it easy to lock in work.

“All the little extras they do with me makes them quite employable… they don’t just have the ticket that says they can drive a tractor.”

Foley grew up on a farm and moved to Geraldine after having kids.

She was reliving at Geraldine High School when the chance to facilitate the academy came up.

To her, the course caters to young people who often slip through the theoretically-inclined curriculum.

“It’s nice to see the practical kids succeed.

“They tend to get lost; if they’re not going to university, there’s nothing for them once they reach senior school.”

She said agriculture courses in school are traditionally seen as, “for the dumb kids,” and that’s a narrative she’s been working to change.

“Making employers and community groups realise what an asset they’re got sitting on their doorstep, that’s one of our biggest challenges.

“Everyone thinks they lie on their couches and look at their phones.

“But they’re so talented.”

Foley said a lot’s in the works for 2025 – more field trips, more business visits, and potentially a high school fencing competition, which she’s pushed for for a while.

“The primary sector world is just so exciting, there are so many opportunities.”

By Anisha Satya