WORKERS’ EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1921, Page 4

WORKERS’ EDUCATION.

It would seem from the remarks made by the chairman of the committee of the New Plymouth branch of the Workers’ Education Committee, at a meeting on Monday last, that, notwithstanding the excellence of the lectures and the ensuing discussion thereon, the attendance of members at the class was poor, and that the public, although invited to be present, did not take advantage of the opportunity within their reach. Possibly there may exist acceptable reasons for this abstention from the class, and it appears that various ways and means of ponularising the movement have been discussed, including an organised effort at arousing the sympathy of t) e different organisations in New Plymouth by making known the benefits to be derived from the movement. We venture to think, that what is needed is not so much the expression of sympathy as the arousing of interest. It may be that the title of the association needs altering to “Popular” instead of “Workers’ Almost everyone in New Zealand is a worker, but the use of the term has made it apply to a class, whereas it has practically a universal significance. In these days, when everyone can read, and to a greater or lesser extent comprehend what is written, the process of education can go on while life lasts; but mere reading of wise books will n«t make people wise unless they use for themselves the tools with which the books are made wise—eyes, ewn and common sense. One man walks the world with his eyes open; another with his eyes upon this difference depends all the superiority of knowledge which one man acquires over nnatbar. It is a lecturer’s business to opea the eyes of his hearers, and to stimulate their understanding. To many people an educative movement partakes of the noXura of a night school for the backward. While such people will eagerly attend such an organisation as Chautauqua, they will fight Ay of a workerr’ education class. The average young man of to-day hae very little time to spare for seif-improvement; he is too fully occupied in sports and pleasure. In the post he has had little or no difficulty in finding and keeping his position, because there were more jobs than men; bat things are greatly changing, aad now there are more men than jobs. Hence the man who equips himself best will retain or obtain, a position and rise. From the experience in New Plymouth and elsewhere it would seem that the educational facilities now provided so freely are not appreciated by those for whose benefit they have been devised. When young men have to be coaxed into attending lectures it is time to consider whether their establishment is worth while. Only the economic pressure now being exerted, which forces employers to retrench and obtain the greatest measure of efficiency, will bring them to a realisation of the necessity for self-improve-ment, of the fact that work comes before pleasure, and that life, after all, is a serious business for which it is their duty, as well as for their benefit, to fit themselves in every way.