Adult education ‘at critical point’

Press, 28 September 1976, Page 5

Adult education ‘at critical point’

PA Wellington Continuing education is now at a critical stage of development, the National Council of Adult Education annual report says. Agreement has been reached on how to better divide educational resources between city and country, young and old, privileged and disadvantaged, work and leisure. it says. But the swelling public demand for post-secondary education is often being disappointed by lack of funds and staff. “Continuing education has received fewer financial resources in the past than tertiary education or intitial education for work, thus distorting the balanced growth of continuing education.” The report calls for expansion of community education programmes. Community schools and projects like the Wairarapa Community Action Programme should be increased urgently. Fourteen new continuing education positions started last year. But new positions to look after learning exchanges and adult reading assistance projects are

needed as soon as possible. The council plans this year to appoint its own officers to develop continuing education for Maoris and disadvantaged adults, particularly poor readers. Possibly 100,000 adults in New Zealand have reading and writing abilities below the average child of 94, the report says. It deplores cuts by the Government earlier this year in the length of even-ing-ciass courses and a national ceiling of 2800 non-vocational classes. ’’Community continuing education is just starting to show its potential after a generation of neglect, and urgently needs a period of healthy growth before it can survive pruning,” the report says. Last year the council moved away from University Grants Committee funding and received 542.678 from the Education Department. Most was spent on salaries for the council's staff of six. The report says more money is needed to cover rising costs and to implement Educational Development Conference recommendations.