ADULT EDUCATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23282, 18 August 1945, Page 4

ADULT EDUCATION

Consultative Committee In Timaru Evidence Presented “The great problem that lies before us now is to educate people how to work for peace—that is, permanent peace. If we have another war humanity will be damned, and the earth made a tomb for civilisation,” said the Mayor of Timaru, Mr A. E. S. Hanan, when welcoming the Consultative Committee on Adult Education at the Borough Council Chambers yesterday. Mr Hanan said he was confident that those who were to present evidence to the Committee were men of approved ability. The Consultative Committee was set uo by the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) to survey the present system of adult education in New Zealand, to consider its improvement and extension, and to recommend the form of organisation considered most suitable to New Zealand conditions. Tire members of the committee are Mr W. H. Cocker (Auckland) chairman, Professor Elizabeth Gregory (Dean of the Faculty of Home Science at Otago University), Messrs A. E. Campbell (Director of the Council of Educational Research), S. Schofield (W.E.A.. Christchurch) and H. C. D. Somerset (Director of the Feilding Community Centre). Mrs F. A. Hilton (president of the South Canterbury District Council) expressed pleasure that the Committee had decided to include Timaru in its itinerary. After the Committee had heard the evidence it -would be convinced that Timaru had something worth while to offer in the’ way. of furthering the adult education movement in New Zealand. “We had intended to visit Timaru, but. as more material came to hand, it was clear that one day would not be enough, so we had to alter our itinerary to stay here longer,” said the chairman. Timanf has been paid two compliments. One is that we have found it necessary to come to your town, and the other is that the Licensing Commission does not think it necessary to come here.” Community Centres

In presenting evidence of the need for a community centre in Waimate, the Rev. Canon A. H. Acheson said that a local community centre would help to draw out the talent of the community and they could make a worthwhile contribution.

Speaking on the need for a rural community centre for Waihaorunga, Mr J. A. Hurst pointed out that young people who made their living off the land did not usually stay long at secondary school, as the cost of boarding was generally a financial burden to the parents. It was suggested that a satisfactory approach to this problem would be the establishment of rural community centres in the country districts where the people lived. Given better facilities, this community would expand. Additional material facilities of a community center would be of use in enlarging the range of school activities. During their school life, the children would be thus acquainted with the larger community life, and the habitual use of the community building would be developed. Provision would be made for the learning process to continue from infancy to adulthood without breaks. Mr T. A. Wilson stated that Waimate would welcome the establishment of an experimental centre as it was considered that the location was ideal for such a purpose. Facilities for adult education would help young people who, after leaving school, did not have the opportunities of consolidating what they had learned, much less follow it up. After school discipline had been removed, there was a strong tendency to drift in,to an easier way of life, which was facilitated by the present numerous avenues of entertainment. The postschool years were most significant in the life of any person as this was the age. when the ideals and knowledge inculcated in school were enlarged and strengthened. A wide use of leisure should be increasingly taught and interest strengthened in cultural and community life. The present system of “night classes” and “technical training” was no answer. Education Aims “Education should be regarded as a continuing process from the time the child enters primary school, through the post-primary school and on throughout the whole of adult life,” said Mr Wilson. “The schools may predispose their pupils to good citizenship, but it is in the greater arena of life that the real struggle must be waged. We should not be satisfied until the adult community is itself educated to place first those spiritual things for which we have fought without compromise.

“One of the great needs in New Zealand to-day is to check the rapid increase in the size of the main cities by a policy of decentralising,” he continued. “This can only be accomplished if we can provide in the country areas facilities in educational, recreational and social life comparable with those available in the cities. In smaller centres, as well as in the larger towns there is a desire on the part of the people to increase their knowledge and make the fullest use of their leisure hours, but owing to sparsity of population the facilities are not readily available.”

In the opinion of the speaker, the remedy lay in the provision of community centres where there would be a combination of social, recreational and educational facilities. All aspects should be provided for, so that all classes of people were attracted to the centre and would desire to take part in its operations. There should also be a close relationship between school and community centre. Where facilities were already available at schools and the school was centrally situated, such facilities ought to be made available for community centre use as far as possible.

Trained Staffs Tire necessary staffs should be trained by the State, and they should be given an adequate salary, with prospects of satisfactory increases, in order to attract the best types of persons. In view of the necessity that the staff should become thoroughly acquainted with the people in their particular area it would be most undesirable that the staff in community centres should be subject to transfer at frequent intervals Personal acquaintance with the people using a community centre would be a very valuable part in successful operation.

In Waimate it has been suggested that a suitable district war memorial would be a community centre Mr Wilson Strongly recommended the adoption of this suggestion as he could not think of any other type of memorial which, while it assisted in the mental physical and spiritual rehabilitation of our returned servicemen and women at the same time assisted in inculcating m our future citizens those principles which should make their future safe fiom war. If that could be attained bv the assistance of such a centre then everyone would regard it as a worthwhile memorial.