THE W.E.A.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15346, 9 April 1920, Page 4

THE W.E.A.

We liave previously sought to direct attention to current movements for assisting In the education of adults. The -matter is now being brought directly to the notice, of the Nelson public by an effort which is to be made to establish in this city a branch or •unit cf the Workers' Educational Association. Tin's association, it may b- | repeated, is a- voluntary organisation of men and women \mited by the desire to bring the opportunities of h'gher education within the reach of all classes of people under -conditions such as to render the work reasonable and interesting. This work is carried out by means of lectures, and by tutorial classes conducted bjr tutors of th^ highest qualifications. It is non-partisan in politics, unsectarian, and democrats Fouiided in Ergland in 1903 by a smaU group of working men and women, il received . the sympathy and assistance of the Universities. The opportunity to form a branch is offered to Nelson through the Wellington centre, which works in the middle University district of the Dominion. There -ire four centres in New Zealand. The W.E.A. now has Government recognition, for by the University 'Amendment Act, 1919, a i grant of £2000 per annum has been made to the tutorial work of the association. The Wellington Centre's report for last year says: ' The movement appears to bo making .quicker progress, both as regards number of classes and intensity of work, in the country than in the city. This result at first -surprising, is probably div-, mainly to the relatively greater num-, ber of distractions incidtri'tal to city | life. It is also, however, in part duo, j as several reports make clear, to tlie | fact that many of the workers view j economics with suspicion, the more adventurous spirits being attached to Marxian doctrines and indisposed to study or even listen to anything else. This is particularly manifest in the Wellington-City, and' Petone reports. It still seems difficult to obtain sati« factory written work, and indeed in some vases to secure any serious study of the subject at all, m?ny members enjoying the lectures sufficifcntJy *o attead, but not making any effort in the direction of -home study, reading, or writing; hence the failure of the important essay branch of the work. *11 tutors lay-' emphasis 'on the valu° •U the discussions, on their .rood, spirit and high level of intelligence, and sometimes on their tendency to wander into side issues of contemporary politics ■ A point, too, is made of . the shifting character cf the classes, due to the mobility of the New Zea'and population." It seems ro us that n branch, of the W.E.A. would be of distinct usefulness in Nelson. To make it of real serviceableness, however, t,w k-cture< and classes must lead tW. students to do actcwl.vork, especially.

.in writing