STUDY CIRCLES POPULAR

Evening Star, Issue 23015, 21 July 1938, Page 2

STUDY CIRCLES POPULAR

NEW MOVE IN W.E.A. RAPID EXPANSION The value of small groups is being stressed by many movements throughout the world—political, religious, and educational. The AV.E.A. in New Zealand began giving instruction in the arts to small rural groups some years ago by means of “ box ” courses, boxes of study material being sent out on loan from Canterbury College. During ithe slump period, when staffs wore cut down drastically, groups were formed to study written papers on various subjects of social and political interest. The circles for such study are now increasing throughout the Dominion at a rapid rate, and Otago this year is enjoying its share of the expansion. It seenis fairly certain that the total of discussion groups will be treble that of last season.

The discussion group differs from the box group in that the papers sent out become the property of the members. Copies of each paper are distributed and studied before the meeting at which it is to be discussed. Members come prepared either to raise points that occur to them, or to concentrate on questions that are put by the author. Usually the paper is read aloud first. A member sends a report of the group’s findings and questionings to the organising tutor, who sends back his comments, usually accompanied by the author’s own notes.

This service has now been put on a Dominion basis, so that a large selection of courses is available in each district. Courses edited in Otago are proving very popular in other districts.

Over 550 orders have been received for ‘ International Issues ’; over 400 for ' Man’s Place In Nature ’; and considerable numbers also for ‘ Papers For Women ’ and ‘ Life Under Bolshevism and Fascism.’

The courses taken by groups in Otago are:— ‘ Biology (Man’s Place In Nature) ’, Otekaike and Kurow; ‘ Psychology ’ (understanding human nature), Waipiata Sanatorium (patients’ group and nurses’ group), Riverton, Awamoko, Pukeun, and Palmerston; ‘ Approach to Economics.’ Haast Pass, Winton, and Mataura; ‘Labour Movement in. New Zealand,’ Hollyford P.W.D. camp, (three groups), Haast Pass P.W.D. camp. Mount Stuart P.W.D. camp, Waitati: ‘ New Zealand To-day and To-morrow), Hollyford, Romahapa, and Kakapuaka; ‘ International Issues,’ Kaitangata, Riverton, and Clinton; ‘ Life Under Bolshevism and Fascism,’ Palmerston and Pleasant Valley Sanatorium. Drama groups are operating at Outram, Haast Pass, and Hollyford camps. It has been decided to form groups at Waikouaiti and Dunback, and a new group is being formed at Haast Pass ta take biology. In addition a few groups are taking “ box courses,” with material in boxes lent by Canterbury University College. AN INTERESTING PARALLEL. It is interesting to note that a development along similar linos has_ taken place in Sweden, a country similar in many ways to New Zealand, with a population four times as large. ‘ Cooperation in Sweden,’ a book published less than a year ago, reports that there are between 10,000 and 12,000 of these small study groups of a dozen or so members, studying with the aid of postal courses-under the direction of the Workers' Educational Association, the Co-operative Movement, and other organisations.