W.E.A. CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 65, 11 December 1943, Page 8

W.E.A. CONFERENCE

Plans For The Future

The Dominion conference of the Workers’ Educational Association was held in AVellington, the vice-president, Mr. F. D. Cornwell, presiding. It was reported that the Dominion total of students enrolled in the principal classes conducted 'by the AV.E.A. in conjunction with the university, nearly 6500, was the greatest since 1932. Educationists in England, the report stated, were urging the rapid development of citizen centres for adult education. They regarded the next 20 years as of crucial importance in the preservation and extension of the democratic idea, and pointed out that, though reforms in child education were also urgent and important, we could not wait till our children were ready to deal with the problems now confronting us. Those already adult must face them. Resolutions were adopted by the conference urging the Government to include in post-war plans adequate buildings and facilities for adult education; urging the Government, the Council of Adult Education and local bodies to endeavour to set up additional community centres on experimental lines; requesting facilities in all prisons for educational instruction by visiting lecturers, also the development of additional educational activity within the prisons; urging more liberal import licences for booksellers in view of the depletion of local stocks of educational books and periodicals; asking the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting for a review of policy on the grounds of the vital importance of education over the air if rehabilitation and reconstruction are to be successful, and of the inadequacy of existing facilities. The following Dominion officers of the W.E.A. were elected : President, Air. G -Manning. M.A.. Dip.Soc.Sci. (Canterbury) ; vice-president, Professor R. AV. Souter (Otago) ; 'lion, secretary-treasurer. Air. A. T. Alacalpin (Wellington). Air. Manning represents the AV.E.A. on the National Council of Adult Education. In addition to the officers, the AV.E.A. Dominion Council includes one representative of each district council.