WORKERS’ EDUCATION

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11702, 14 December 1923, Page 3

WORKERS’ EDUCATION

WORK DURING 1923 TUTORIAL CLASSES COMMITTEE’S REPORT. BEFORE COLLEGE COUNCIL. The annual report of the W.E.A. Tutorial Classes Committee, Victoria University district, for the 1923 session, presen tea to the Victoria College Council last night, showed that the number of classes in operation during the past three years has been: 1923 1922 1921 Tutorial 22 16 18 Study Circles 1 23 16 22 It will he remembered (states the report) that the work done during 1921 by Mr A. E. Mander, as temporary tutororganiser in the Duller sub-district, lapsed last year owing to inability to secure a suitable tutor-organiser. Early in 1923 it was decided again to call for applications for the position, to which Mr W. A. Sheat, 8.A., LL.S., was appointed. Mr Sheat has conducted classes in Westport, Granity, Denniston and Burnett’s Face; but, unfortunately, the work during the latter part of the session was adversely affected by industrial troubles and the consequent departure of a large percentage of the mining population from the district. Of the 14 New Zealand urban areas, the seven asterisked below come geographically within the Victoria University district:— Order of Estimated Population Population Urban Area. 1/4/23. 1 Auckland 167,760 2 Christchurch 113,400 3 ‘Wellington 112,070 4 Dunedin 75,050 5 ‘Wanganui 24,450 6 Invercargill 20,180 7 ‘Napier 17,870 S ‘Palmerston North 17,810 9 Timaru 16,450 10 Hamilton 15,350 11 Gisborne 15,120 12 ‘New Plymouth 13,930 13 ‘Hastings 13,730 14 ‘Nelson U. 240 This university district not only contains the 3rd, sth, 7th, Bth, 12th, 13th, and 14th urban areas in the Dominion, but also, in Masterfcon (population 8190), the largest borough which has not been created an urban area for statistical purposes. The burden of providing W.E.A. classes is, therefore, a heavier one in this district than anywhere else. It has long been a matter for regret that WE.A. activities have been languishing in the fifth town of the Dominion. This year, however, in response to an enthusiastic appeal from our tn tor-organiser in the Manawatu sub-district (Mr A. E. Mander), the scope of his activities has been widened to include Wanganui, where he has successfully conducted three classes, in addition to five tutorial classes and one study circle in other parts of his sub-distnct. In the 7Uh, 13th, 14th and 15th towns of the Dominion (all of which are within oar district), no W.E.A. classes have been in operation this year. It is to be hoped that in tho future sufficient funds and suitable men will be available to enable the work to be extended by tlie appointment of local tutors or suitable tutor-organisers for each of these centres. Innovations during the year have been tho formation of classes in chairmanship and public speaking, end in Spanish in Wellington, and in civics at New Plymouth. An economics, class has also been carried on at Khandallah; the measure of success attending this class, despite very adverse conditions arising out of the tutor’s ill-health and the great prevalence of sickness in the district, suggests that as opportunity offers the movement might with advantage be extended into the suburbs. Much, however, depends on the enthusiasm with which the local initial organisation of the class is conducted. Almost all tutors report that attendances were very adversely affected about the middle of the cession by the severity of the influenza epidemic andi other forms of sickness. Attendances, particularly in Wellington, have suffered also from the remarkable mobility of the population. Good use has been made of the class libraries, where such exist. Tutors again complain bitterly of tho difficulty of obtaining written work from the students. Tho following extract from fho report of a tutor is typical:—“lt is quite clear that the circumstances of most students prevent general written work, and the best that can be done is -. (1) to stimulate students to road regularly and systematically on the subjects of the course; (2) to teach them to learn to think quickly and express themselves accurately in tho discussion hour.” The total number of students enrolled for the different classes was 636—males. 329; females, 307; and the number of effective students was returned as 524 males, 254; females, 270. The report was adopted.