W.E.A.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 259, 1 November 1928, Page 27

W.E.A.

ADULT EDUCATION AND THE

FARMER.

TOWN AND COUNTRY ACTIVITIES.

(NOTES BY JAQUES.)

The work of adult education in the Waikato district during the past session has been distinctly gratifying. The spade-work of the last few years, and the ability and energy of the present tutor-organiser, Mr. F. B. Stephens, 8.C0m., have shown results that give bright promise for the future. Some indication of the strenuous nature of the work may be gauged from the fact that latterly the tutor-organiser has been lecturing six nights of the week and has covered a territory over 100 miles in length, including the following centres: Hamilton, Thames, Waihi, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Puahue, Te Kowhai, Whatawhata, Horsham Downs, Cambridge. Lectures were also given at the Waikeria Borstal Institute, and the inmates formed one of the most enthusiastic classes in the district. In co-operation with the British Medical Association in Hamilton, a series of six lectures was given by. local doctors, and proved highly popular. Mr. Stephens has had able assistants in Mr. J. A. Brailsford, 8.A., Mr. E. H. Apthorp, A.R.C.0., Mr. T. N. Pemberton, MA., and Mr. C. J. Adcock. Regarding his work in the farming districts, let Mr. Stephens speak for himself: "One phase of the work which has given great encouragement has been that amongst the farming communities. In four or five centres I have been able to get away from the towns into the country, and in school-houses and country halls have been able to get right to the farmers. In general, the work has been very encouraging. In fact, the demand has been a great deal more than could be coped with. A fortnight ago I went to Raetihi. Despite the fact that they had the worst storm for a year or two; ovcr thirty turned out, and there waß an urgent demand for classes next year. The Te Kowhai class has completed its course. The roll number was 24, and the last lecture drew a crowd of 60. At Puahue, a returned soldiers' settlement, about twelve miles out from Te Awamutu, an excellent response has been witnessed. The class roll there is over 20, and the effective attendance is about the same as the class roll. At Whatawhata the numbers are steadily increasing, and the same can be said of Horsham Downs. Several other centres of the Farmers' Union are inquiring for lectures, but it will be practically impossible to do anything this year. I might say that in all' these places, With the exception of Whatawhata, there is not even a village in the vicinity, and our class members are entirely active farmera. The response from the farming community has been most gratifying, and augurs well for any extension of effort in that direction."

. The twenty members Who made up the Labour Day week-end camp at Huia had a delightful time, despite a set of circumstances that would have daunted most people. The WJELA spirit is wonderful. On Sunday a walk of five miles

through the beautiful Huia bush to the new dam was thoroughly enjoyed. A box scheme lecture on "Wagner's Music," and a particularly interesting talk by Mr. E. S. Kohn on "Appreciation of Common Objects," were both followed by engrossing discussion. The three-act play, "Outward Bound," and a short play, "Five Birds in a Cage," were read with fine appreciation. Altogether it was a happy week-end.

The interest shown in the W.E.A. by the staff of the Auckland Electric Power Board has been a most encouraging development. The employees' social club took the matter up by inviting the director to address a well-attended meeting, as a result of which two further lectures were given by Mr. Richmond on "Problems of Modern Industry." At the final meeting the intention was expressed of forming a cTass next winter for a more extensive study of the subject. It is hoped that similar classes may be formed in co-operation with other such workers- organisations; there can be no more effective method of extending the work of our movement in accordance with its best aims.

Quite a flutter seems to have been caused by the Hon. L. M. Isitt's expressed opinion that the W.E.A. is being worked in the interests of one political party organisation. The party he refers to is a question left, presumably, to our conscience. At various times we have been charged with bias in favour of every shade of political opinion under the sun. But it is impossible to feel annoyed with the dear old chap. Those highly-coloured political spectacles make it difficult for him to see anything at all clearly. The fact is, of course, that the W.E.A. and political propaganda do not mix. Real education in the W.E.A. sense means absolutely unfettered discussion and a desire to get at the truth. The attitude of politics towards truth seems to consist mainly in trying to circumvent it.

Two students have been selected this year to reeeive bursaries to attend the University, the second bursary having been granted by the College Council at the request of the selection committee. The successful students are Miss H. C. Laing and Mr. P. Boorman, to whom our best wishes.

Mr. L. A. Mander, writing from Geneva, Switzerland, where he took part in a conference of the Geneva Institute of International Relations, has manyinteresting things to say of his European tour, especially aboutf England. "At Oxford," he says, "we saw something of a W.E.A. summer school in progress. It was delightful to see the enthusiasm of the group, and a real pleasure indeed to meet Mr. Cartwright, the Oxford secretary, and later on Dr* Albert Mansbridge, the founder of # the movement. One could sense in eveh a short time the almost missionary fervour which he possesses for adult education. The new secretary, Mr. Muir, more than favourably impressed me. His judgment one would place absolute trust in, I think, and it is a tribute to the importance of the W.EA that Mr. Muir, when placed in * position of having to choose between a political future and the W.E.A., chose t&e latter because he regarded it as building on more solid foundations." "The Menace of Leisure" was dealt with humorously in a recent speech by a prominent American educationist. He outlined a summer school for college students, teachers, trade unionists, and "those who are in a position to retire but are not able to retire gracefully because they have absolutely nothing on which to retire except money." (Office of the Workers' Educational Association, Old Grammar School Buildings, Street, Aackland^