Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

The Dominion. SATURDAY. APRIL 10, 1920. EDUCATING THE DEMOCRACY

In its' last'aniiual report the locajl . centre of the" Workers' EducationalAssociation. spoke of . the value its'work to tho peofilo of the Do : minion. ■ . All must heartily agree that if the work--is carried put on right lines this, value will- be very 'great.' Aclult education" is a. pressing practical need of the day. In so far'as it is its ultimate possibilities are as yet far from having ' been explored, even tentatively—it offers"' a _ mean's not. only of broadening the life and outlook of. individuals, but of impart-; ing to the • democracy, elements of strength,- cohesion, and efficiency 'which'are indispensable, and are hardly 16"'be' gained' in any other way./' The case' for. adult education has been summed up in a single sentence: "An uneducated democracy cannot be other than a failure." ' In the aftermath of -the . world war, with, national aril, international affairs' cast. . into disorder, we are well placed to realise the-truth of this contention,; one that, even in : . more placid times, commended .itself to common sense.' It is self-evident to-day that democracy is' <j>n the_ democratic nations upon, Avhom it falls to lead the world in progress, must rise to' higher and nobler standards than they have yet attained if they are to open-; a. hopeful future; Th'rsf. position is stated clcarlv and with force in-one of the reports of the. British- Adult" Education; Oommittce.: —

... A new era has come iipon. lis. We can.not stand still. .We caiinot jtcturii to the old ways, the old abuses, the old stupidities..'As with our international relations, so with, the relations of. classes and individuals insido..our own nation; if they do not'.henceforth get bettor they must needs - get, worse, and tlnit means moving, towards an . abyss. It is in our .power to mnko the new era one of such. progress as.' to repay lis even for tjie immeasurable cost, the price in dives lost,' in manhood crippled,, .and in homes desolated.

So regarded, the movement for adult education- is one of.tho most promising national .activities. inspired or quickened by the war. _ As a means of fostering good citizenship and promoting- a ■ sympathetic understanding between groups and classes it holds ; inspiring possibilities. T.he. British Committee; has laid it;.down-, that adult'.education

"must not be regarded as a luxury for a few exceptional persons here and there, nor as a thing which concerns only a short span of early manhood, but that adult education, is. a permanent national necessity, an inseparable aspect of citizenship,alul' therefore should be both universal and lifelong." It is from this comprehensive standpoint: if at all that adult education is worth

promoting,. No one can doubt that a movement which'aims' at progressively increasing the proportion of clear-thinking . ancl men and women in the'community is ontitled to State and public recognition'and support.: Adult education offers, -in -fact, the only renwly in sight' for conditions .here ancl in other countries in which l.he national energies, are conti mally being wasted , and- frittered away for .want of the- intelligent co-op-cration .which would immensely benefit, all concerned. In this country the,extension adult education under the auspices of the Workers' Educational Assp^

ciation has developed as yet on. a

modest scale,' but with a perm.anjnt | State grant of £2000 per annum to the universities for tutorial purposes,- the association is given _ a firm though limited basis on which to proceed. Further andmore rapid' progress, and : the possible enlargement of State' assistance

must depend mainly upon the spirit' in which the association discharges ; its functions, and above all upon ■ I adherence to sound educational • principles and a studied exclusion ot', anything in the nature of partisan propaganda. A heavy responsibility is of necessity cast upon . those who undertake the instruction of adult classes—that is to say, ■ilasses of adults whose only education in most cases, following upon a more 'ffiL.kss imperfect course of elcmentlfy instruction, has _ been that of practical life. It is observed by., the .British. . Committee, that the education of an, adult must begin by answering his existing inquiries and perplexities, and go on .to the, satisfaction of his aspirations. ,The method must be, it adds, to start from the immediate concrete fact and work back to the rationale of . that fact. It is obvious enough that adult classes unwisely directed might easily become a. breeding ground for narrow prejudice instead of developing "the open mind and a sense of the paramount duty • of truth" which are aimed at in all 'sound'-'educational practice. In its broad aim ; and possibilities,' however, the enterprise of the. Workers' Educational Association commands all possible sympathy. It is a beginning from which: great, and lasting benefits to the democracy may develop. It may not be out .ol place to suggest to ,the. association at this early stiifsj' in its career that it" might appropriately and with advantage amend its-title-... Its scope of useful activity may bs narrowed by the fact that it figures ■as the "Workers' " Educational. Association, when its declared objects and the service it is capable of rendering to the' democracy, entitle, it'to adopt a designation of broader meaning. .As it is commonly, used-in this country, the term "worker" has a restricted meaning. In its ordinary acceptation would' exclude, a shopkeeper or a .professional -man or woman. Some such title as "People's Educa-tional-Association," with aims arid an educational policy to correspond,. would better meet the case, and tend to popularise a movement which has much, to commend it.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200410.2.16

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
907

The Dominion. SATURDAY. APRIL 10, 1920. EDUCATING THE DEMOCRACY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY. APRIL 10, 1920. EDUCATING THE DEMOCRACY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 6

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert