The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1014. TRAINING THE DEMOCRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 152, 27 June 1914, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1014. TRAINING THE DEMOCRACY.

For ths cause that lack* assistance. For the wrong that needs resistaisgf, For the future in the distance. And Silo good that we can 6a. ,

A correspondent has specially directed our attention to the introduction into Australia and New Zealand of the Workers' Education Association of England. This Society has made on its own lines, a practical application of the democratic reform in education which Lord 'Haldane advocates and which underlies the scheme laid before the House of Common- by Mr. Pease. The peculiar virtue of the Association movement is that it has been initiated mainly by the. spontaneous desire for advanced knowledge felt by the workers themselves. The object of both Government and Association is the same, the opening up of a 'broad hkrhwny for all; the poor as well as the rich, the industrial classes as well as the professional classes, from the teaching of the primary schools onward to the soundest ami 'broadcs-f culture the nation can provide. This idea is responsible for the title of the Association's monthly periodical, "Tile Highway." Ultimately the promoters hope to open ever}' BrilL-li University to young men and women o; all classes, but while waiting for that consummation they cany on higher education ann.ug.-t urar.ual workers and 1-he whole industrial community by means of tutorial classes. The members of the Association include several well-established educational bodies, amongst nth.-rs nearly all British universities, and. on the other hand, a num'iier of Labour organisations. The idea first originated in IPO3 at a conference of trade unionists and educationists, and in 1007 fresh development, began when the Oxford report recommended the appointment of a joint committee composed of university dignitaries and of delegates from trades unions and other Labour bodies to arrange together the affairs of the tutorial classes. Over 110 of these classes are now at work, and the students number over 3,000, who have entered for a three years' coutsc. and 00.000 who have attended during last yrar. The regular student engages to attend for ehree years unless absolutely prevented, and to write a number of essays during the winter. Each class lasts for two hours, the first taken up by the teachers' ad.lrrf*-. the second given up to the students themselves. The subjects arc various, but the most popular have been found to be social economics and political science. Reference to the lectures given last season in Aberdeen may give some idea of the scope. They were on "The Problems of Representation." "A History of the Movements for the Regulation and Relief of .Sweated Industries in the United Kingdom," " Women ami Citizenship." and similar live topics. Classes arc held in clubs, trades unions, co-operative societies, adult schools, village parlours, am! at mothers' mertiirgs. The branches also arrange visits of parties to local museums, picture galleries and places of historic interest. The Association further interests itself in elementary education, and advocates smaller classes and an extension of the age of leaving school, and more attention to physique and hygiene. As sunn' of our readers may renujnber. the Association last year sent a party of its .members to .start the movement, in Australasia. In the Commonwealth they received a 'hearty welcome both from the universities and from the Uabour bodies, and they had a successful tour through the various States, delivering altogether 1-0 lectures and addresses. It is significant that in nearly every university town their meetings, were attended by moiirbers of the university governing bodies and toy the trades unions together. The I'cdcration of Labour called upon all its branches to initiate the work, and approved holding a joint conference with the universities. At Sydney and Rrisbaiie tutorial classes were already working at the beginning of this year, and others were formed iv Melbourne. The Oovomment of Now South Wales made a grant, of £1.000 towards the cvpc.nscs of the first year, and Mr. Meredith Atkinson, of Durham University, was appointed lecturer. Tn 'New Zealand the strike interfered with the intended tour, but the movement has already started in Ohristc.'n.urch. where a class, under Mr. Whitehead, is already starting the History of Philosophy. A sirnll number of Auckland people arc endeavouring to make some beginning in this district, and their efforts deserve all possible support. The (Minister for Education has promised that the Cabinet will go thoroughly into the matter. The movement cannot fail to have the cordial good wishes of all New Zealanders, and we hope it may receive more, substantial support than good-will alone. One of the great mistakes of the past has lioen lo suppose that education is the affair only of a special class of pedagogues, and that, for all except a limited few it should stop with the elementary school. Real education concerns every member of the community, and it is absurd that it should he arrested in its earliest stage. In fact, it never should ' eea.se except with life itself. ono secret of the greatness of famous men, from Cato. who learned Greek at the age of 80 down to Rnskin, Darwin, Wallace, is that they never left oft' learning. Whilst entirely sympathising with the main object of tutorial classes, we should like to suggest that it would be an advantage if the movemey} muM be gtgfftgd in if(rar!

Zealand itself, without waiting to be engineered from the outside. This would secure its being in closer relation with the actual conditions and intellectual and social demands of the people of the Dominion. We have mentioned that the most popular subjects arc social economics and political science. Our ■social system is on a different footing from that of tho Old Country, and as the instruction is meant to be more practical than academic, it would be distinctly advisable that the lecturers and teachers should be thoroughly acquainted with New Zealand affairs. Of course there is a great deal that can be learnt from England and a great deal also from other countries, especially America, where there has been a thorough educational awakening, but it would be a mistake to attempt merely reproducing the wholu system and curriculum of any other country or to wait for other than native teachers and lecturers. It is to bo hoped that this grand task of spreading universal culture will be taken iv hand by New Zca landers themselves with the initiative and self-reliance that has marked the country in the past and has often made it in social progress a model to the world.