WORKERS' EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 149, 19 March 1919, Page 3

WORKERS' EDUCATION

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION

NEED FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

Tho Dominion report of tho fforkerV EdiiCHtional Association for lh J ear WIS has been printed, .tplloniig .iro wcorpt" from tho Wellington Centra* roport:--

Progross of the Movement. Under the above heading t'ho report urates:-"During the year local.biniiuhcs wire formed at Levin, AVonganui, Mp 101, and Wcslport, and other cantaj, aie mnkio;r inquiries. Nine addition no KaviiiHtioM have affiliated to the We Jibbtoi Centre during the year. B> Jwneial n«istanco rendered by ( local W™, and bv Hie co-operiuion of tho Cental Chamber of 'Commerce we , have, been able to provide headcjnarters in Winder s BuiWiußS, and to appoint as eicntW Mr. P. Cormvell, whose past voli nlary laboiirs work of the W.L.A. are well known. In the coming ye. lio cbuneil is confident (hat these changes will give strength to Hie association. Already the meetings of tho council ami of three das* arc hold in tho.aviation's room, and next year it is to be hoped that lectures on topics of Intel eat will be regularly given there. , Finance. The council of the association names in the roport a number of organisations and local bodies that have generously supported the work, and, says that but lor their assistance tho centre could iu>t have "carried on" during the year. J. no attitude of tho Government is thus referred to:-"Tlie hope that tho National Cabinet would do something for the movement hits again been doomed to Uisappoii.lment, notwithstanding that pressure was brought on it in the House ol Representatives; notwithstanding ■ that the National Efficiency Board and the Nav Zealand University Senate strongly recommended that a grant should be made; and notwithstanding that the leaders of the Cabinet, Jvlten in England, could hnrdlv have failed to hear o£ the Kroat port t'ho W.E.A. played in the passing of the Education Bill, and is now playing in Die scheme of education during' demobilisation. Further, if we turn to Australia, we find that tho State is giving line support to tho movement, as the following statement of annual grants olenrlv shows :-New South Wales, isOOO (University of Sydney);, New South Wales, Jim iW.E.A.); Victoria, 41000 (University of Melbourne); Tasmania, 45000 (University of Tasmania); South Australia, 41000 (University of Adelaide); Souih. Australia, 4300 (W.E.A.); Queensland, 41000 (University of Queensland). Tho names in parentheses are those ot the receiving authorities. "These are the ligures for 1916, tho report continues, "and somo of the grants hava sine-- been increased. Why Cabinet should refuse to give us any assistance it is indeed difficult to see. Wo cii-i but hope that it will not be long before New Zealand has a Cabinet that realises the importance of tho educational work of the W.E.A." Book Department. "In tho past," it is stated, "classes havo laboured under the great disadvan- ! tugo of lack of suitable text-books. Classes'were'arranged only to find that ' no books were available. It was therc--1 fore decided fu begin a small book depart- ' ment, by ordering a supply of text-books in tho principal subjects that the classes are studying. As these books are sold, orders for additional stock will be sent. It is believed that in this way the elhcieni.v of the classes will bo greatly jncrcascd. and that gradually an extensive book depaitment n;ay % be built up Km a souud financial basis.''

Tutorial Class Committee. -In an appended report, the Tutorial' Class Committee &tates:-"Thc movement is making steady progress. At tho beginnin-: of the year the W.E.A. asked the commi'tte.' to take over tho preliminary classes. This request was acceded to, as thereby a proper division of work was, -secured. The W.E.A. undertook the ta-sk of spreading the movement, of' I organising classes; the University College, through the Tutorial Class Committee, took over the classes V they were organised, appointed tutors, and paid salaries. During tho session there have been eight tutorial and six preliminary classes nt work. The reports of the tutors show that the work of the year has naturally been greatly affected bj war conditions, but. notwithstanding much loss of time and many changes ia the personnel of the (lasses, enthusiasm and interest have been well sustained. Nov that the war has happily ended it i 9 to be expected that, with the return to normal conditions, the work of the classes will proceed more regularly, and that more attention will be paid to written .exercises. "The committee feels that the general organisation has been placed on the firm basis of earnest co-operation of the W.B.A. and the university, and that, provided the Government and local authorities are prepared to give the necessary financial support, there is a great field of social usefulness for this form of educational effort."