THE W.E.A. IN GREAT BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19502, 10 June 1925, Page 3

THE W.E.A. IN GREAT BRITAIN

(Contributed by the local branch of (ho W.E.A.) As in Now Zealand, the movement in Great Britain has two sides. The side of the demand for education in classes is mot bv the organisation of the Workers’ Educational Association. The body dealing centrally with the supply of tutorial classes is the Central Joint Advisory Committee on Tutorial Classes, of which the chairman is Sir Henry Miers, vicc-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, the vice-chairman Albert Mansbridgo (founder of the W.E.A.), and the honorary secretary, Mr K. H. Tawney, 8.A., the well-known W.E.A. tutor and writor. Most of the English universities send three representatives to this committee, some being local W.E.A. representatives and some from the professorial or administrative sides of the universities. The Board of Education and the London Headquarters of the W.E.A. also send representatives to the committee. It is interesting to note that Sir Harry Reiclrel, who is shortly to act on a commission to study the New Zealand University system—is one of the representatives of the University of Wales, so that he will come with a knowledge of university extension work through the tutorial classes of the W.E.A. The annual report for 1923-24 of this Tutorial Advisory Committee is just to hand. Full statistics are available of the work throughout Groat Britain. An increase both in the total number of classes and of students is reported. Classes. Students. 1922- .... 363 7639 1923- 398 8539 Viz., 35 extra classes and 900 more students. It must be remembered also that conditions of membership are more stringent in England than out here, each student undertaking to remain for three years and do ample study, and written work. Ihe distribution among the various universities is as follows: —Nottingham leads with 43 classes in the town and surrounding district, while second place is hold by Sheffield (which formerly led), and London, with i 37 classes each. Manchester has 34 classes, Leeds, Liverpool, and Durham 53 classes; Cardiff 23, Birmingham 32, and Aberystwith 20; Swansea 16, and Bangor 12; Cum bridge and Oxford make themselves responsible also for 19 and 13 classes respectively in various parts of England. Six other universities have smaller numbers of classes, including Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Tho W.E.A. for some reason or other has never progressed beyond seven classes in Scotland. It is interesting also to notice what subjects are being studied most. As in former years, economics, with social and industrial history, is still in tho load, being taken by 153 classes, though this is net an increase. The subjects showing most increased attention are literature, which jumps up from 67 classes in 1923 to 97 in 1924, and modern European history 9 to 19 classes; 68 classes take psychology and philosophy; 13 music, 10 biology and natural history; and 10 political science. There are eight classes in geography, five new classes in international relations, five in general social science, and smaller numbers in history of Western civilisation, sociology, political institutions, logic, anthropology, hygiene, geology, and natural science. The variety of subject available in our own dominion compares favourably with Great Britain, though a number of the above subjects have yet to bo offered here. Another interesting list gives the occupations of tho workers attending the British classes. Of the 8570 students enrolled the biggest group is one of 3000 odd comprising what may bo called manual workers in the various trades—miners, mechanics, carpenters, textile workers, dressmakers, blacksmiths, etc. Clerks, secretaries, typists, etc., make up another largo group of 1456. Teachers are largely availing themselves of W.E.A. facilities to tho number of 1385. Housewives, etc., make up a total of close on 1000. Professional workers amount to 133. Civil servants, postmen. tramwaymen, policemen, and municipal employees total 530. Shop-keepers, shop assistants, travellers, etc. total 496. One particular occupation often exceeds in a particular university district —0.g., Birmingham attracts mostly clerks, for some reason or other; Bristol, teachers; Durham naturally miners, but also a logro number of teachers; Leeds, textile workers; London, civil servants; Manchester has a largo number of textile worker's; Sheffield, miner's; Aberystwith, miners; and Swansea, metal, machine, and tool workers; while Nottingham excels in the number of housewives that fill its classes. Tho report also contains a full account of the nine summer schools held in Groat Britain lasting from two weeks to two months including ono at Reading to train tutors for ono year classes and study circles; an account of the central library for students containing 25,000 volumes, of a move forward by Oxford and Cambridge to dovelon more fully tlrdir extra-mural teaching; of increases in money paid bv the Board of Education enabling better salaries to bo (wild to tutors; of 20 scholarships of £SO each awarded to W.E.A. students enabling them to spend a year at some university. Altogether the movement in Breat Britain seems flourishing and by no moans on tiro decline as some of its critics would aver. An appendix gives a detailed summary of overseas statistics, which show the following:— New South Wales (1023) —55 classes, 1807 students. Queensland 19 classes, 558 students. Victoria—22 classes Tasmania/—ls classes, 519 students. Now Zealand —75 classes, 3052 students. Canada—3l classes, 987 students. South Africa—l 3 classes, 148 students. At least as far as numbers alone are concerned, tire movement seems relatively to have made progress which compares favourable with other parta of tho British Commonwealth of Nations,