WORK OF W.E.A.

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 71, 16 December 1938, Page 7

WORK OF W.E.A.

Tributes Paid At, Annual

Conference

LINK WITH GOVERNMENT

By Telegraph—Press Association.

DUNEDIN, December 15. The growth, of the Workers’ Educational Association since its formation in 1915, when there were 429 members enrolled, was traced by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, when addressing the annual Dominion conference of delegates of the association today. He said that a perusal of the syllabus gave an insight into the wide fiqld of intellectual subjects that were explored. With the centenary of the Dominion a year away, there would be lively interest shown in the political and social history of the country, and the association would have a great contribution to make so far as its knowledge of the position was concerned. ../There had been much achieved this year, and grants had been restored by the Government and also increased by £2OOO. There was a close link between the Government and the association. Mr. Howard, chairman of committees, was the first secretary and the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education had at one stage interested themselves in a practical way in the association, each having taken courses of study. A national council of adult education had now been set up, and on it were representatives of the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the universities and the W.E.A. among the representatives of other public bodies. The mayor, Mr. A. 11. Allen, said the city ;council was not closely linked with the association, but it was sufficiently interested in its activities, realizing the worth of its work, to make an annual grunt. He said he hoped this financial assistance would help the very useful service that this organization was accomplishing. ' An assurance that the University of Otago, along with the university colleges in the Dominion, was doing all that was reasonably possible to assist the association was given by the vicechancellor of the university. Mr. L. D. Ritchie. The Otago University Council had a sincere admiration for the work that the association was achieving, and an instance was given at the council meeting this week, a motion of appreciation of the cultural work that was being achieved being adopted. The annual report of the association was adopted, and the following resolution was carried:— "That the Dominion council be instructed to bring to the notice of the Government the need for securing a suitable building in each of the four centres to serve as a home for the W.E.A. and kindred organizations. It Is suggested that each of the four centres should supply to the council concrete proposals as to suitable sites or buildings which are available.”

The association’s desire for modification of the secondary educational system was expressed in the following resolution, which was carried: "That, iu pursuance of the recommendation of the youth work committee, which was adopted by the Dominion conference of 1937, the Government be asked to investigate the practicability and desirability of modifying the secondary educational system with a view jo giving to apprentices and other adolescents the opportunity of dividing tlfeir working Time between schooling and the earning iif living, schooling to include social and cultural as well as vocational subjects, the whole problem to be explored l>y a committee representing economists, educationists, psychologists, business people and employees.’’

The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mr. H. D. Acland (Canterbury) ; vice-president, Mr. F. D. Cornwell (Wellington) ; Dominion secretary, Mr. A. C. Barrington (Wellington); treasurer, Mr. A. T. Maealpin (Wellington) ; council, Professor R. W. Souter (Otago), Mr. B. Martin, M.L.C. (Auckland), and Mr. C. R. N. Mackie (Canterbury), Appreciation was expressed of the work of the retiring secretary, Mr. A. E. Campbell, who was also congratulated on his appointment by the Government as Director of Educational Research.