‘Shoe-String’ Budget Draws W.E.A. Criticism

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31304, 25 February 1967, Page 21

‘Shoe-String’ Budget Draws W.E.A. Criticism

“The direct shoe-string budget given to us through the channels of educational organisation amounts to only £2600,” said the Rev. D. Jackson Inglis, President of the Canterbury Workers’ Educational Association, at the association’s annual meeting last evening. For this mere amount, the W.E.A. carried out its activities for the community at a high educational level to a large number of people, he said. Mr Jackson Inglis said that in times of a credit squeeze, the Government should be grateful, but In times of affluence, the Government ought to be aware of this disparity. “Those to whom we seek to give education may have a home and a garden, a wife and family, a job and a life to be lived, and an empty void to be filled,” he said. This void could not be filled with unsubsidised bread, bottled liquid or continued unprofitable leisure, but could be partly filled with continued education. It had been noted that the University of Canterbury, through its Extension Studies Department, promoted 127

courses with an enrolment of 3400 students in 1964. In that year, the W.E.A. had nearly 100 courses and an enrolment of 2200. In 1965, the University Extension Department held 91 courses, and the W.E.A. 96 courses. He said that omitting special visitors and professors from the university statistics, 1 the student enrolment was ■ about 1300 while there were 1 about 2350 with the W.E.A. 1 Officers elected were: President, the Rev. D. Jackson Inglis; Vice-presidents, '■ Mrs M. Adcock, Mr E. Miller; > treasurer, Mr K. Talbot; edu--1 cation committee, Dr. R. G. ■ Keey, Miss D. Gaudin; centre '■ committee, Messrs L Den- ■ sem, P. Hanwell and P. Robinson, Mesdames M. McLaren, 1 M. Clarkson, S. Claridge, M. 1 Adcock, W. Kennedy, Misses IG. Burridge, J. Laing, Mr ) and Mrs J. Dunmill; repre- ' sentatives of the association to the district council, Mes- ‘ dames J. Ryan, R, Dawson, I M. McLaren, M. Clarkson, A. ■ M. Williams, J. Dunmill, M. , Efford, W. Kennedy, E. Mc--1 Evedy, D. Houston, V. Bartlett, Messrs L. Harris, 1 Den- > sem, J. Duaffiill, D. Houston, , S. Annand, Misses S. Freel man, J. Laing, G. Burridge, ’ and D. Gaudin.