ADULT EDUCATION

Grey River Argus, 12 March 1938, Page 5

ADULT EDUCATION

COUNCIL APPOINTED

To Co-ordinate Present Work

[Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, March 11.

The Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser), announces the appointment of a Council of Adult Education whoso duty it will be to consider the coordination and extension of various adult education agencies and movements throughout the Dominion. The membership of the Council is Mr. N. T. Lambourne (Director of Education), Professor T. Shelley, of Wellington (Director of Broadcasting), Professor T. A. Hunter and Dr. Elizabeth H. B. Bryson, representing the Senate of the University of New Zealand, Mr. P. Martin Smith, of Auckland, representing the Workers’ Educational Association, Mrs. N. A. R. Barrer, of Masterton, and Mr. W. G. Simpson, of Hawera, appointed by the Minister and generally representative of other organisations actively interested in adult education.

The duties of the Council will be:— (1) To co-ordinate the different activities of adult education and take any action it may consider desirable to further the interests of adult education.

(2) To recommend to the Minister the amount of annual grant for adult education to be paid to the University of New Zealand.

(3) To recommend to the Minister the allocation of a grant among such bodies or agencies engaged in adult education as the Council may approve; and (4) To receive annual reports from the University College Council, and from any other bodies to which the grants for adult education are made. “It is necessary,” said Mr. Fraser, “to bring together the national organisations concerned so as to secure mutual help and to prevent overlapping and waste of effort. In New Zealand, as elsewhere, adult education has a two fold aim—to provide the means of serious study for people who are interested as students, ana to provide means of raising the level of culture and stimulating talent of the people as a whole. Public authorities throughout the world are accepting responsibility for adult education on progressive lines.”

“Two of the most important reasons for this interest are the increasing amount of leisure and time now available to people, and also the increasing interest in social and economic affairs.”

New Education Bill

MANY PROPOSALS

WELLINGTON, March 11.

The Education Amendment Bill to be introduced before the session ends, by Hon. P. Fraser (Minister of Education), is likely to be a fairly comprehensive measure. It embodies several distinctive changes in the system, notably the re-organisation of the education controlling authorities, so that primary and secondary education will be administered in the various district by one authority.

The close local association with the schools will be maintained, by introducing a system of parents’ committees, in connection with secondary schools, similar to that operating to the advantage of primary schools. The principles of the measure were recently explained to the Government Party caucus which gave its approval. It is intended to proceed with the Bill next session, and it will be circulated immediately, so as to enable all interested authorities to submit their opinions to the Education Committee.