Thousands Use Adult Education Services

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28551, 2 April 1958, Page 11

Thousands Use Adult Education Services

New records in almost every activity are reported in the annual review of the Regional Council of Adult Education, received by the University of Canterbury; but the regional council has gone back 10 years to show the more striking development which has occurred since it was established in 1948. velopment which has occurred > since it was established in 1948. The following statistics for last , year (with 1948 figures in parenthesis) cover the main activities: ; number of classes, 263 (54); dis- ; cussion and radio-listening : groups, 107 (56); play-reading groups, 72 (40); special schools, I 22 (2); recitals, 40 (9); exhibitions. • 32 (0). Throughout the 10 years i the number of full-time tutors was the same at nine or 10. “One major trend during this period has been the growing tendency for voluntary organisations to look to the university as ; a source of further education and . to . deal with the university through the adult education department,” the report says. In : 1957 courses were provided for j the Nursery Play Centres' Asso- j ciation, the Townswomen’s . Guilds, parent-teacher associations, community centres, and country women’s co-ordinating committees. To ensure orderly , development of this type of work and to avoid a sectional approach . to adult education, the regional ! council made a regulation that all , classes be open to the public with , the exception of certain special . courses. During the last year the role of the adult education department as a clearing house became more apparent. More than 500 films, . 700 current affairs bulletins, and 300 books were among the material distributed to groups. Requests for these services increased. The report says the trend is valuable in bringing a more permanent association with classes and groups and thus offering op- ' portunities for new work by tutors.

Tutorial classes last year totalled 131. Sixty-six (of which 21 were practical subjects) were organised by ' the adult education department of the university and 65 (of which 32 were practical) were organised by the Workers' Educational Association. This is the first year in which the adult education department has eclipsed the total of the W.E.A., if only by one. W.E.A. factory classes were curtailed because of reorganisation of staff through illness, but 40 lectures were given at the Addington railway workshops to attendances totalling 1000. Apart from the large number of groups assisted by tutors, staff gave 216 lectures to an attendance of 7081. Impressive Statistics The summary of statistics, prepared by the Regional Council of Adult Education, gives these impressive totals of participants:— Tutorial-type classes (having four to 17 lectures in the course), 131 with 3115 enrolled; discussion groups (with five to 10 meetings), 26 with 265 enrolled; radio listening groups, 71 with 696 enrolled; home science, drama, music, arts and crafts classes (with four to 10 meetings), 130 with 1459 enrolled; other groups (such as factory discussions, club groups, current affairs, and study boxes), 148 which had 1677 sessions and a total attendance of 35,485; special schools (in such subjects as home science, music, arts and crafts, and agriculture), 22 with a total attendance of 1078; music tours, music festivals and concerts, ballet, dramatic presentations, and art exhibitions, 103 performances with a total attendance of 33,636; casual lectures, 259 with a total attendance of 8109. W.E.A. Needs Earlier in the meeting, the university council “commended 'the Workers’ Educational Association on .the standard and expansion of its work” as shown by its annual report received a month ago. On this report, Dr. D. E. Hansen said the W.E.A. was hampered by lack of funds to expand. At least six new classes for advanced students should have been started. The Regional Council of Adult Education claimed that it did not have sufficient funds to finance such development. “It is a question whether the regional council should not get these funds,” said Dr. Hansen. “W.E.A. classes have increased from 33 in 1955 to more than 60 last year. Without a doubt the W.E.A. has a unique position in Christchurch. It has more than 2000 students taking courses. The present strength of adult education in this district is almost entirely through the work of the W.E.A.” Dr. Hansen said he hoped the tutorial classes committee would grant more help to the W.E.A. “That is under discussion,” said the Vice-chancellor (Dr. F. J. Llewellyn). “It has been under discussion for nine months and it is time we got on with it,” said Dr. Hansen.