PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 18 July 1924, Page 5

PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY.

W.E.A. ACTIVITIES. <l4 V DliiLOS.i The importance of tli-e gramophone | in cvery-clay life, and its great use as an educational factor in the life of the community was emphasised by Professor J. B. Condlitt'e, who was chairman at the gramophone night giteii by Air C. 11. 11 e«viitL' in the \Y.E.a“. rooni.s last Saturday' night. He said that the Education Department hud refused to give a grant lor the purchase ol gramophones for use in. schools, as l Lite Department feared that teachers would “make use of them lor jazzparties or functions of a like nature.” He was of the opinion that the gramophone was one of the greatest modern aids to education, and every school should have one in its equipment. There can ho no doubt as to the value of the gramophone as an educational aid. and it is of interest io note that they are in use in many other countries, and are giving results which certainly justify their inclusion in the equipment of schools in this Dominion. When the proposed public conference on Education is held in Christchurch, it is to be hoped that tin's will be one cl the matters discussed, ami that, as a result, the Education Department will come to the decision that "gramophones are educational.” DISTRICT COUNCIL. A meeting of the District Council of the W.E.A. was held last Tuesday night. It was decided that a presentation, be made at the social evening, to be held to-morrow night, to Air AY. . M’Cullougb. who is ’Treasurer of the j Council, on the occasion of liis marriage. ’1 ho report of the sub-committee of the W.E.A. and the North Canterbury Branch of the Educational Institute on the matter of the holding of a conference. was adopted. I N TURN A IT OX A L WORKERS’ IiDI'CATION. A copy ot the report ot the International Conference on Workers’ Kdiication. which was held in Brussels in August. 1922, and whi-h has jusi been published; has come to hand. The book I contains reports on the adult oducation organisations in Australia. Now ; Zealand. Belgium. Czecho-Slovakia. ! Denmark. France. Germany. Great Bri- ! fain. Holland. Luxemburg. Switzerland, United States. Austria. Palestine and Sweden. » The report on New Zealand savs : • “The whole of the work, the class"educational work, is now in the hands of the W.E.A. Ihe W.E.A. is supported by the Government to the extent of ~o(X) a year, and the lecturers arc. mainly College professors. The money to support the W.E.A. j s subscribed mainly by private individuals, and owmg to this fact, the educational work is carried on principally by lectures. * any of toe Trades Unions subscribe to the W.E.A.. but as a general police, the workers in New Zealand do not support it. This is due to the fact that in many cases tile Government objects to the lecturers if they lean to much to the side of Labour while taking the classes. Many of the unions, however do pay nominal sums, and any union may affiliate with the AY K \ ' oll }I . IV moot of the sum of £1 Is pm- an nun, > ’ Mus report is substantially correct ' and it is indeed only t OO m,e ilia 1 the \\ h.A. does not get the support it deserves from the trade unions ami Lvade unionists. Many unions, as tlm report says, pay nominal sums but J?* sy c more than the necessary affiliation fee ol £1 Is. This j* lo i„, regretted, and ft seems a shame that more financial support is not I'ortheoming from these organisations. Christchurch. however, has taken the lead ir this way. SOCIAL EVENING. To-morrow night a. social evenino is lo be held in the W.E.A. rooms, when occasion mil be taken to bid farewell to Mr H. Belshaw. M.A.. tutor n South Canterbury, who is leaving for England. He will undertake research y.ork at Cambridge. Air Belshaw. who is also well known on file West Coast, m the Canterbury education district] where he was W.E.A. tutor for somo time, lias done much to further the work of the W.E.A.. and his efforts have been appreciated by members of the association, who all join in wishing him success in liis studies at Cambridge. OTHER CLASSES. All the local clasps are doing good work and are having good attendances, j The country classes also are progress- J ing very satisfactorily. PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS. “ The place of the individual in so-«-iaI organisation.” the subject of an address delivered by a student provided an animated debate ai the last meeting, in which nine- members of tin.

class took part. The diversity of thj vi**n points of the different speaker* was remarkable, cor.side? ing the number of speakers. The student who introduced the subject viewed it from a j theosophieal point, in which he was * supported bv one other speaker. Ala j terialistie views prevailed. however, notwithstanding an eloquent and vigorous reply, stimulated by pointed interjections. No vote was taken on the question, although the student who was principal speaker received prolonged applause for liis effective reply. Continuing his lesson on platform speaking, the tutor (Mr John Rigg> referred to sen-consciousness and nervousness. He expressed the opinion that self-consciousness might be overcome by concentrating the mind on the subject under consideration, and on the audience ; but that nervousness, being a matter of temperament, was incurable. By taking every opportunity that offers to appear 'before an audience, wc may succeed in controlling our nervousness to such an extent that i r is not apparent to an audience. This is the most we can | hope for. As a compensation for ner- | that lie lias the right temperament i for public speaking -the liiicrffy-.strun.:. 1 nervous temperament being that ot