ADULT EDUCATION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 55, Issue 32706, 29 April 1946, Page 3

ADULT EDUCATION

INTERESTING CONFERENCE REPORT BY -MRS BRADY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE' “I felt very honoured' to be the delegate for the WJD.F.U. provincials and the Thames-Hauraki Plains District Federation of Women’s Institutes at the conference of representatives of countrywomen’s organisations held at the Adult Education Centre, Symonds street, Auckland recently, and do hope that the following report will warrant the confidence placed in me by both organisations,” stated an interesting and comprehensive report presented •by Mirs D. Brady, of Paeroa, to the executive meetings of the Thames Hau ■ raki Federation of Women’s Institute. Twenty-eight delegates for all parts of the Auckland province attended the meeting. The director of Adplt Education, Mr P. Martin-Smith presided.

“Mr Martin-Smith welcomed delegates and said, ‘the war is now over and we are to look forward to increased opportunities and increased interests, in the matter of Adult Education and 1 it was felt, that if we had this conference, that we could get first hand information from representatives, of the sort of activities that might be embarked upon. There was a good real of lack of knowledge of the working of Adult Education in the country. The history of women’s adult education in the Auckland province, said the director, had commenced with the setting-up of the National Council of Education shortly before war broke out. To that body the Government makes an annual grant of money, which is' distributed by the council to the four University Colleges, who have to assist them, Advisory Committees on Adult Education. One other body, The National Co-ord-inating Committee of the Women’s Division and Women’s Institute also receives a grant from the National Council of Adult Education, and with this money the Co-ordinating Committee has employed a tutor in gardening and one in dressmaking. Before the setting-up of the National C'ouncil of Adult Education, the W.E.A. had been the most important body in adult education. With the Setting-up of the National Council of Adult Education new fields were opened up, and in particular it became possible to make special provision in the Auckland area for women. In this direction Auck-. land had previously lagged, behind other University districts, provision for women having been made in the South by the A.C.E. and in the Wellington area by the Sarah Ann Rhodes Fellowship. “In Auckland a Women’s Advisory Committee was set up to advise the Advisory Committee, which advises the University College Council. This Women’s 'Committee consists of representatives of Women’s Institute and Women’s Division, the Federation of University Women, and the National Council of Women and one or two co-, opted . members. This set up was arranged not that Adult Education should be regarded merely as a servicing agent to Women’s* Division and Women’s Institutes, but in the hope that these bodies would take the initiative in pioneering adult education work in the country. The special staff on the women’s side consisted of two women tutors, Miss Smith and Miss McMillan, and men tutors were also available for general adult education work, there being a staff of about nine altogether. It was the task of adult education to raise the standard of intellectual and artistic taste in the community. The more particular problem before the conference at the moment Was the question of organisation to assist in arranging tours by

the tutors. “Miss Smith, tutor-organiser, described how tours are arranged at the present time, and stressed 1 what a help it was to have details : of itinerary in advance, and also to know what subjects were wanted. “Miss MteMillan, another tutor-or-ganiser, who had prepared a map showing the area covered by Women s Instiute Federations and Women’s Division Provincial Executives pointed out the great need for co-ordination between WjD. and W.I. I'n her efforts in this direction she had developed lots of pen friends, but was getting downhearted about the success of efforts at co-ordination initiated at her end. It seemed that the problem must be tackled locally, and suggesions for coordination were made. “'Miss McMillan had marked the map with green for institutes and with red for women’s divisions and the whole of the area from Kennedy’s Bay • to Waihi was in green, thus showing no women’s division centres whatsoever. I corrected this anomaly but not able to give a list of Women’s

division’s and would suggest that a full list of Women’s divisions in this area be sent to Miiss MdMillan.and to myself as soon as possible, so that itineraries can be arranged successfully, and’ the map can be coloured in correctly to cover the whole Auckland Province which has a combined total of thirty Provincial Executives' and Federations.

District Organisation '“Jt was moved by Mrs McNaughton and seconded, by Mirs Clark that where there is a regional committee (co-ord-inating committee)' when arrangements are made for a visit by a tutor, these arrangements should either be made through the regional committee, or the committee should 'be notified of any plans made. Carried. “It was found' that co-ordinating or regional committees had already been set up in the following districts:— Bay of Island (Mrs Moor), N. Wairoa ('Mrs Thurston), 'Whangarei '(Mrs Marsden (Woods), Thames-Hauraki ('Mrs D. Brady), South Auckland (Mrs M'clWhannell) and Tauranga (Mrs McKeller). After discussion, it was decided that the name ‘Regional Committee’ was preferred. “It was proposed by Mi’s Clark, seconded by Mrs Bilahd that this conference urges that every effort should' be made to establish or receive regional committees for adult education wherever possible. Carried,

Education Officers “It was proposed b*y Mrs Hbrrobin, seconded by Mrs (Gardner that conference recommends to Federations and (Provincials Executives consideration of the appointment of education officers. C'arriedl. “After considerable discussion it was proposed by Mrs Moor, seconded by Mfrs Clark that the committee organising country tours, should make a charge not exceeding 17- per person per day to cover local expenses of advertising, 'hall hire, etc., and that any surplus should foe forwarded to the Adult Education Centre. Carried. It was proposed by Mrs Clark, seconded (pro forma) by Mrs Moor that where tutors visit monthly meetings of women’s organisations, including those within a 30 mile radius of Auckland, a donation not exceeding >5/- should be made towards the travelling expenses. Carried. -rhe possibility of ensuring that provincials and federations should < send' at least one representative to the

winter school was discussed. The director stated that a comprehensive title had not yet 'been agreed upon, but that the central idea would be along the lines of ‘You and the Community.’ It was. planned' to cover art. drama, recreationj the community centre-idea, and use of libraries and' certain visits or expeditions would be arranged. The question of local winter schools was raised. Mrs Titheridge stressed the value of contacts 'between town and country women at winter schools. Suggestions were made as to advertising in local papers, etc.

Topics of Interest to Country Women ‘"The following, suggestions were made: —Talk on war neurosis, talks on X-ray and radium and their special uses, casserole cooking, design and dressmaking, War time discoveries in science and the way in which they may be applied, box scheme with lecture and illustrations, (Maori lore and customs, work covered by Miss CocksJohnson—gardening, preserving, etc., landscape gardening, the setting out of private gardens, etc., public speaking and general procedure at meetings, millinery. (In this connection the director mentioned that where there is a district high school, there is a pro--vision under Technical School Regulations that if a group of 12 or more wish to study a special subject,, music, arts, handicraft, and so on, they may apply for a tutor). “It was proposed by Mrs Sawer, seconded 1 by Mrs Moor that in view of the extent of the work to be done, this meeting of representatives of countrywomen’s organisations urges the need for the appointment of additional women tutors. “This concluded the business of the conference which closed at 4 p.m. . Afternoon tea was then 1 enjoyed' by the . delegates and this brought a very en- . joyable-conference to an end.