INSTRUCTING THE WORKERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 13

INSTRUCTING THE WORKERS.

EDV C ATIC NAL ASSOCI AT lONS ACTIVITIES. INTERESTING REVIEW OF ITS WORK, In an interview on Thursday, Mr George Manning, of Christchurch, Dominion secretary for the Workers’ Educational Association, gave an interesting outline of the work of the association, its aims and future prospects. Mr Manning said that during the progress of the Great War, and when things seemed at their worst there started in this country a movement destined to become one of the great factors in shaping the future development of the Domisuon. The Workers' Educational Association commenced in 1915 with eight classes comprising 240 students, whilo last year the movement had grown to tho extent of 105 classes with 4635 students. Tho main function was to provide the facilities whereby every person who desired it might secure further education regardless of his or her economic position. At first the work was centred in the four chief cities, but it was soon realised that the country people were again debarred the privileges given to the city population, and consequently a demand had arisen for classes in the country districts. To meet this demand the association had been compelled to employ permanent tutors whose sole work was to teach these classes. The expansion of the work in the country had developed to such an extent that eight permanent tutors were now employed. This meant that every adult living in the town or country districts who desired to improve his or her education could now do so without the heavy expense of attending a university or being coached by professional teachers. It meant also that a system of education was being evolved whereby a free cultural education was guaranteed to every New Zealander throughout his life. It had been recognised that education did not stop at the school age but waa a process that continued while man lived. It was necessary in this young country that every man and woman interested in the wellbeing of the community should possess an intelligence sufficiently developed to analyse the many problems that confronted the nation from time to time.' Unless the highest education possible was offered to the people then its status in the world would soon show a . decline. A true national life, the consideration of the latest theories ot the universe, the most recent discoveries of science, and the life and labours of other races and peoples, and not by a few privileged persons, but by the rank and file of the population were required. Wherever 20 or more persons were willing to form a class to study any cultural subject the association provided a tutor and a set of library books dealing with the subject. No student wa3 debarred from the class because of the low standard of his previous education, because the experiences of adult life were the chief starting points in a W.E.A. class. Mr Manning stated that tne tutors were always anxious to secure the information which was given to the class by the students during the discussion hour. This information very often contained the personal experiences of the students in their vocations. These 'acts combined with the theoretical knowledge of the tutors were of the most valuable assistance in the real education of the tutors themselves. The same principle applied to the students. They were well informed on the practical side of their own occupations, gained, of course, in the hard lessons of industry, but they lacked the understanding of the principles underlying the various forces of Nature and social organisation. To supply the deficiencies in the both cases, and to enrich the minds of the common people the W.E A. system of education had been founded. The procedure in an average class was so simple that each student must secure at least some benefit from attending it. The tutor lectured on his subject for about one hour and the students were invited to ask questions and to discuss the lecture from any angle in which they were interested. by these questions and discussions under the guidance of the tutor the students were encouraged to do their own thinking in arriving at any conclusions. Thus they educated themselves, which was the only true method of real education. To assist the students in building up a background of knowledge on the subject to be studied, the association provided each class with a set of library books. It was being realised more and more that to receive the full benefit of the tuition given in the W.E.A. movement all-persona attending the classes should keep themselves well posted with the most modern thought on the subjects they were interested in. Ruskin had truly said: “That country is richest that nourishes the greatest number of happy human beings, and that man is richest who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost has also the widest and most helpful influence over the lives of others.''That we might attain to such a was the purpose of the Workers’ Educational Association, concluded Mr Manning. *