The Role of Agricultural Extension in Developing and Sustaining School Gardens from The Point of View of School Managers in Kirkuk Governorate / Iraq

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the role of agricultural extension in developing and sustaining school gardens in Kirkuk Governorate and to learn about its reality, as well as to know the most important problems facing school managers in developing and maintaining school gardens. The study included all government schools except kindergartens in the Hawija education department of the general directorate of Kirkuk governorate education, which numbered (170) schools distributed into three sectors: (Hawija, Al-Sakr and Al-Boujar sector), from which the Al-Sakr sector, which includes (61) schools, was randomly selected. For the purpose of collecting data for the study A special questionnaire form was prepared and designed using the Google Form program, and its link was circulated to school managers. Data was collected during the period (10/02/2022 until 16/3/2023), during which responses were received, which amounted to (61) responses, they represent the research sample. After that, the data was tabulated and analyzed using some statistical methods such as frequencies and percentages.

The results showed that (18%) of the schools follow a double permanence system, and (72.1%) of the schools fall into the small area category, whose area ranges between (200-3466) m², and a number of schools do not have school gardens, and some of them have a small school garden whose area does not exceed (833.3) m², with a percentage of (96.8%) of the total number of schools, 88.7% of school managers believe that the space specified for creating a garden within the total area of the school is not appropriate.

(98.3%) of school managers indicated that their schools do not have an agricultural worker concerned with planting and maintaining the school garden. It was also found that (31.2%) of the schools do not have a source of water to irrigate the school gardens. The results also showed (86.9%) of the schools do not own the equipment and tools for gardens, and (32.7%) of students’ parents contribute to the maintenance of school gardens, The problem (the lack of a farmer "agricultural employee" who takes care of the crops and supervises their watering) came first from the point of view of school managers.

The study recommended activating the role of agricultural extension in providing school administrations’ knowledge with modern agricultural information about designing and planting school gardens by allocating some agricultural extension activities for that purpose. It is also recommended that the school garden should be given attention by the directorate of education, and the employment of agricultural engineers as well as agricultural workers within the owners of each school to take care of the school garden and identify plants that suit the climatic conditions of the city of Kirkuk, as well as the requirement that there be a suitable space for the model school garden within the future plans (Tendering). In establishing schools.