PEOPLES’ UNIVERSITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17526, 1 May 1925, Page 4

PEOPLES’ UNIVERSITY.

W.E.A. ACTIVITIES. It is becoming an everyday occurrence to hear some one or tne other say, *• That there will be no reform in our social life worth vhile uncil the people are educated. ' .This statement is quite true, but how difficult co accomplish! There exist in every community large numbers of people who evince no interest whatever in education or mental development of any kind. This a serious position when it is remembered that society is now being organised and governed by the system called Democracy, or selfgovernment. It, therefore, becomes the duty of all who are interested in the success of democracy to analyse the cause of this lack of interest in education and to seek the remedies. One writer has suggested “ that our primary education system stops just at that time when it should be attaining its maximum value and affording the widest opportunities for selfexpression and self-development.” Just as children are reaching the age when they might begin really to develop qualities of initiative and responsibility the children of the working class particularly, or the overwhelming majority of them, finish their school days and are thrown upon the labour market. Then follow the years which are the despair of the educationist. Nothing has been don® to awaken the desire for further education, and in addition the wage system and factory life have the effect of deadening any desirp for self-education. That being so, it becomes the duty of every lover of democracy to see to it that the children of this country are in school- long enough or have arrived at the ago when self-expression and mental development are appreciated. Already there has gone forth a demand to raise the age of leaving school to sixteen years. This demand was voiced by members of a recent educational conference which met to review the position of post-primary education in this country.

The W.E.A. must lend its fore© in support of the demand for raising the school age so that an appreciation of adult education may naturally follow us the children grow into manhood and womanhood. The support of e\eij true citizen must in return bo given to the W.E.A., which is labouring gallantly but against great odds to he the people of this country to take their part in understanding the problems of the State and in helping to form those national ideals without which a nation may perish. During last week the secretary again visited South Canterbury, and- as a result classes were formed both in Ashburton and Temuka. This is the first time a class has been organised in Ashburton owing to the difficulty in previous vears of obtaining a suitable tutor.' This year Mr A. H. Tucker, Canterbury College, will tutor the class, the subject being “The Control of Industry.” With a population such as there'is in Ashburton no doubt a number of classes will be formed in the near future. . Last year a short course of. eight lectures was given in Temuka, but tni.s session it is hoped to run, a successful course of twenty lectures on English Literature. Mr D. Kemshed, M.A.. Timaru. will be in charge of the class. The class in English Literature and Drama at Oxford, North Canterbury- : s making great progress under the leadership of Mr H. C. D. Somerset. The number at- present on the roll is forty-two. An enthusiastic committee has also been formed to spread the activities of the movement in that district. At present the class is studying Bernard Shaw's nlav “St Joan." The lecture given by Mr E. J. Howard, M I*on Saturday even-

mg last, dealing with “ The Zimbabwe Ruins,” was so popular that the two W.E.A. rooms were too small to accommodate- the number who desired to hear the lecture. Mr Howard is repeating his lecture to-night in Kaiapoi. PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS. The sixth weekly meeting of this class was held in the association’s rooms, in the Trades Hall, on Monday evening, and there was a large attendance of students. The preliminary lesson, which included reading, phonetical pronunciation, and instruction in pausing, lasted an hour, the remainder of the time (one hour) being devoted to an adjourned debate on the question, “That the Press has a greater influence on public opinion than the Church.” Dealing with pausing, the tutor explained the difference between grammatical and rhetorical pauses, and spoke of the rhetorical pause as being the most important form of expression, for the reason that it not only accompanies all other forms of expression but is by itself a most effective form. He then explained at length the rules to be observed in pausing, and gave students an exercise to be done at home, showing their application. On Monday evening next the principal feature of the lesson to be given will be inflections of tlie voice and the rules which govern these inflections- Further instruction will also be given in the use of phonetics, and the debate on the influence on public opinion of the Press and Church will be concluded.