No assurance of W.E.A. subsidy

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33774, 21 February 1975, Page 14

No assurance of W.E.A. subsidy

The Canterbury branch of the Workers’ Educational Association needed more than friendlv pats on the back, avuncular advisors, and a little pocket money — it was not interested in continuing a nostalgic group of activities maintained by sweated labour and subsidised by token grants, the president (Dr R. B. Keey) told the branch’s annual meeting last evening. After "clear insinuations" from the Government that a subsidy would be forthcoming through the Department of Education, the W.E.A. had been forced to Dian its 1975 programme without any assurance that the money uould arrive, Dr Keey said.

The W.E.A. had been approached bv the Minister of Education in 1973 about the fund. Formal confirmations were made in mid-1974, and later at a meeting of W.E.A. officers with rhe department’s continuing education officer. In September, the W.E.A. had agreed to the Government’s proposals, provided a few alterations were made.

However, nothing further! had been heard from the Department of Education. Other sources of finance had been committed, and one grant! over-spent by $l3OO. Investigations of Govern-; nient delay had brought a reply from the DirectorGeneral of Education (Mr A.! N. V. Dobbs) last month saving that there might be no. Government subsidy through' his department. No preliminary advice of' the amount of subsidy would be available until about! April, and the actual amounti would not be known until the, 1975-76 estimates were dis-1 closed, Mr Dobbs had said. “While the legal position isj understood, the overture — [ which was not of our seeking| —has put the district council |

in a position where it must plan a programme without any guarantee that funds will be forthcoming," Dr Keey said. “Years of operation on marginal financing have left the W.E.A. with a minimum of reserves,” he said. “Lack of liquidity is a problem common to manv bodies at present, but it does seem unrea-

isonable for a voluntary association to be put in a position where, amongst other emergency measures of seekling bridging finance, it has had to seek overdraft accommodation on the separate and collective securities of its officers.” “At present, we receive a subsidy of about $5 for each student enrolment, from all sources —an exceedingly low sum — and even a doubling of grants will still mean that we will be offering one of the cheapest educational programmes on the market," Dr Keey said. I Reviewing the W.E.A.’s Christchurch programme, Dr I Keey said that the “Wider Horizons” classes for the elderly had enrolled 700 people. [Originally planned for the re-

tired, it was now drawing en- ! rolments from a wide variety 11 of age-groups. Total enrolments in Canterbury classes last year had increased by 50 per cent. : There was also increasing desmand for seminar-type learning, and information on community and social issues, such, as total-cost housing, and i children’s literature.