Denman, the English Country Women’s College

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 3, 15 September 1950, Page 279

Denman, the English Country Women’s College

By

NORMA K. METSON.

Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

MEETING together in groups with other people whose interests are similar answers a basic human need, especially for those whose lives normally are lonely or isolated. Working together for a common objective is both stimulating and educational. Adult education, in its widest sense, covers /all such activities. To be successful it must fit the needs of the people for whom it is intended; they should have a part in supplying it and not feel that it is merely something provided for them. Denman, the English Women’s Institute College, is a convincing example of what such a project can achieve. WOMEN’S Institutes in England in the past 30 years have made unique contributions to the welfare of country people. In addition to the local influence of each institute, the organisation soon gained . sufficient status to influence national policy as it affected the rural community, either through official consultation or by deputations and representations to Ministers and officials. With institutes in almost, every village, the membership encompasses an immense fund of knowledge and experience. When an institute. is asked, as happens frequently, for a report on some problem' affecting country dwellers, the information is precise and detailed, giving facts which would be

difficult to obtain otherwise. Similarly, national federation policy on such subjects as health, children’s welfare, and country amenities is carried out through the activities of each local institute. It is also acknowledged that, without the extensive programme of food production and conservation and local marketing carried on during the war and still continuing through the organisational framework of the institutes, the British food situation would have been much more serious. , The institutes have always been ingimmes■ embers as officers, s organisers, and demonstrators. They have been responsible for a great revival of interest in traditional handicrafts and an increase in the numbers who practise them and for developing groups for the study and performance of music and drama. By means of produce shows, grading for marketing, organ-

ised courses,. and the awarding : . of certificates to those who pass recognised tests, the standard of food production, preparation, and preservation has been raised and housewives have been, made familiar with modern methods and equipment. Other activities extend from local social events to international contacts through the system of overseas “links,” affiliation with the Associated Country : Women of the World, and participation in programmes of assistance for war-devas-tated countries. Establishment of Denman College A recent and most notable achievement of this organisation has been the establishment of Denman College, named after Lady Denman, for many years president of the movement. Denman is the country women’s college, the result of their efforts and planned to meet their special needs. Though Oxford is only 9 miles away, the college is sufficiently remote to require the address “Marcham, near Abingdon.” It was opened in September, 1948. The stone Georgian house was modernised by previous owners just before the war, but after wartime requisition by the Royal Air Force a good deal of reconditioning work was necessary. Additional sleeping accommodation for 17 students has been arranged in “The Croft,” converted from former stable buildings, so now 50 places are available for students, Army huts left from the wartime occupation are to be turned into workshops' and craft rooms, thus lessening the crowding of the main building, where space is ample for living and recreation but a little inadequate for classrooms. The farm land attached to the property totals about 200 acres, most of which is let. About 30 acres have been kept for use in carrying out and expanding instruction in gardening, the cultivation of small fruits, and the care of animals and poultry. The unique quality of Denman as a result of the co-operative efforts of many people is practically illustrated in the furnishing of the bedrooms.

THE ENGLISH COUNTRY WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Each has been the responsibility of a different county, which has provided the money for furniture and the craftwork and sewing for quilts, curtains, rugs, cushions, and accessories. Patchwork, quilting, drawn thread, crossstitch, smocking, wool work, every kind of embroidery, hand-made lace, tatting and crochet, rugs, chairs and stool seats, woven fabrics, pottery, book bindings, metal, wood, and leather work— room displays many of these crafts and reflects the skill and patience of hundreds of women from every part of the country. Some gifts of antiques have been used, but most of the ordinary furniture is of the utility range in light wood. In spite of the diverse origins of the contents, no room appears cluttered or inharmonious; simplicity and charm are everywhere. Work of the College The college is managed by a board of trustees. The warden and staff concerned with administrative and domestic affairs are in residence, and instructors for the courses are usually university staff from Oxford or specialists from the Ministries of Agriculture and Education. For crafts, institute affairs, and some other subjects experts from within the organisation are used.

Courses are normally from Monday to Friday. All students live at the college and their ages may range from 17 to 60. They come from all over the country and not infrequently from overseas as well. (At New Year a special house party is arranged for overseas visitors to Britain.) The 5-day courses facilitate arrangements by housewives to leave home, as no weekend is included; Members must pay board during their stay, but fees' for courses are low—only ss. or 10s. Some institutes and county federations ar- . range for scholarships so that no member is debarred from attending by lack of money. Courses are of two types, the first for those who are interested in subjects as individuals and the second for those who are willing to pass on what they learn to other institutes in their county. As practical coursesfor example, gardening, toy making, and cateringare limited to 15 students, they are usually held concurrently with others such as “Books and Music” or “Life and Leisure.” The two groups then combine for outings and evening activities— films, play readings, or musicand the widening of interests benefits both. This balance and variety of programme are regarded by the college as among its most valuable features. The

student conies primarily for a course covering a certain subject, but she will also read books in the library, possibly visit the Oxford colleges, and gain much from her experience of community life, brief though it is. Before they leave after a course the women are asked: “What have you enjoyed —what has meant most to you?’' Often they will say it is the music, or the books, or meeting the other women, and not the course itself, though they find the subjects of courses absorbing enough. New Conception of Education The short course is a relatively new conception in English adult education, which has been based on a tradition of long and intensive study fulfilling the functions of an extra-mural university. Denman’s achievement is different. Students already have the ideals and training of the Women’s Institutes; they have also an immense pride in the fact that the college is their own, the result of their planning and labours. There, after years perhaps in isolated villages, they meet women from other districts and often from other countries, and these meetings and the group life can teach more than hours of . study. The practical courses. are based on the familiar needs of institute members who come to learn certain specific skills or facts and are taught them as rapidly and efficiently as possible at an adult level. The other courses—as “Country Housewives,” “Life and Leisure,” “An Approach to History,” and “Books and Music” —are pointers for minds that are seeking for something to enrich life beyond everyday routines. In the 6 months from September, 1949, to March,- 1950, 28 courses covering 19 subjects were offered to individual members, and 21 additional courses were for women prepared to pass on what they learnt in the capacity of demonstrators, speakers, or officials of the movement. Subjects in the first group were “Country Housewives” (6), “Pickling and Preserving,” “Books ana Music,” “Life and Leisure,” “Gardening” (2), “Catering for the Home and Local Functions,” “Christmas Course” (3), “Soft Toys,” “Smocking,” “Commonwealth Visitors,” “Catering for Numbers” (2), “Dressmaking and Fashions.” “Drama,” “Ideal Home,” “Gloving,” “Health and Safety in the Home,” “An Approach to History,” “Children’s Clothes,” and “Plays and the Theatre.” The second group covered “Music,” “International Studies” (2), “Produce Marketing,” “Handicrafts,” “Ways of Teaching and Speaking,” “Public Questions,” “Drama,” and “Schools for Institute Officials.”

In so young an institution much of the work being done in organisation, methods of teaching, and content of courses is still experimental. One important conclusion already reached is that expansion to meet greater demands for this type of education should take the form of more units to be established in other parts of the country and not of an increase in the size of Denman. The aim above all is to keep the atmosphere of friendliness and individual interest which is possible only in small groups.