Agricultural schools must show their students as many options as possible, and at the same time, give them a chance to use their theoretical knowledge in practice, to prepare them for their future profession in the best way possible. One of the challenges faced by directors of these institutions is to provide high-class machines that will be used by future farmers in practical vocational education for years. Actions conducted together with a machine dealer bring many more benefits. Which? They can be seen in schools that have already started such cooperation.

First: modern machines
The School Complex No. 1 in Biała Piska (Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship) is a school with extensive tradition in the agriculture sector, founded in 1950. Nowadays, its students attend the agricultural mechanisation vocational school and the agricultural mechanisation and agrotronics vocational school. An extramural qualification vocational course: management of agricultural production, is also very popular amongst adults. Furthermore, the school is an Examination Centre for the District Examination Centre in Łomża.
To educate successfully, the school decided to purchase modern agricultural machines and training equipment.

“The school purchased a tractor John Deere 6110R, equipped with a modern display ComandCenter 4600 z AutoTrac, and a section control, enabling control over machine sections, e.g., a seed drill or a sprayer. Additionally, the tractor is provided with the JDLInk system for a remote access for online monitoring of work, as well as for localisation using a laptop computer or a smartphone”, says Mr Sebastian Bartkowicz, expert at the Precision Agriculture Department at Fricke Maszyny Rolnicze, a dealer of John Deere, which has been cooperating with the school since 2016.

Apart from a modern tractor, the institution also received a fertiliser spreader and a maize seed drill.
“This machine is admired by students and farmers alike. Today, such modern solutions are fundamental for teaching profession at the highest world-class level, and offer a possibility to verify students’ theoretical knowledge in daily practical activities”, adds Dariusz Charubin, director of School Complex No. 1 in Biała Piska.

Another school that decided to cooperation with Fricke dealer of agricultural machines is the School Complex of the Agricultural Education Centre in Dobrocin (also in Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship), an institution which traditions also reach back to the middle of the previous century. It was established in 1946, and from that time it has been educating future farmers in various areas, including dairy production or corn cultivation.
For its students, the institution provided: combine harvester John Deere W330, and agricultural tractors: John Deere 6090MC and two tractors from the 5E series. Furthermore, the school purchased a universal set for automatic satellite control ATU 200, with a display 2630 and the latest receiver SF6000.
The delivered equipment will be used for educational and training purposes. To a large extent, machines are used for practical classes in the fields belonging to the school.

Second: elements of precision agriculture as modern teaching aids
Due to its cooperation with a dealer, a school can provide not only agricultural machines, but also teaching aids. For example, the management of the School Complex No. 1 in Biała Piska, mentioned above, decided to purchase three complete stations with displays 2630, receivers SF6000, steering wheels and complete ISOBUS, as an equipment for teaching and examination stations used for purposes specified in the curriculum. For students, it means an opportunity for training on them on a daily basis, and thus, for preparing for exams and their future profession using the state-of-the-art equipment.

Third: continuous support and the latest knowledge from a manufacturer
Purchase of machines and equipment from a dealer also offers a possibility for constant contact and customer care by the service.

“For example, the school in Biała Piska is located within a range of our two branches in Mrągowo and Ełk, therefore, we can react efficiently whenever it is necessary”, adds the expert from Fricke Maszyny Rolnicze.

For a team at a given educational facility it means that there is no risk of a break in teaching caused by technical problems in machines or teaching aids.
A cooperation with a dealer of agricultural machines also means that a school can use many benefits associated with vocational training for students.
Regular meetings with students as a part of vocational training, delivery of teaching aids, boards, animations, operating manuals for tractors and machines, and regular consultations with the teaching staff are of fundamental importance.

“Cooperation runs very smoothly with directors, but also with teachers, with whom we maintain a regular phone contact, as well as organise meetings at the school as a part of our counselling activities. We have also frequently met with students at school, for example, showing them the world of precise agriculture, adds the expert from Fricke Maszyny Rolnicze.
The contact with modern machines and equipment shows students their influence on environmental and economic aspects of agricultural production, resulting from the use of appropriate systems of precise agriculture, and, first of all, allows preparing them for external exams confirming their professional qualifications.