Cheeseparing
SIR,--I think that it would be generally accepted that when there is a public demand for the Government to exercise economies in their expenditure, a certain section mill make a reservation to fight economies in the particular sphere in which they are interested. In the Midlands area in which I served a few years ago, there existed—and maybe still exists—an influential body of educationists known as the West Mid- lands Advisory Council for Further Education—charged with the duty of co-ordinating the provision for Technical and Adult Education in four or five Midlands Counties. The membership of that body con- sisted of Chief Officials and members of County and County Borough Councils, with representatives of Industry and Commerce, and of the University and the W.E.A.—all highly experienced men or women, and mainly concerned with the provision of education in Technical (Evening) Schools, Evening Institutes, &c.
One subject of discussion which not infrequently occurred was the overlapping of classes conducted under the auspices of the W.E.A., and those organised by the Local Education Authorities. Apart from the overlapping, the high rate of payment to tutors of the W.E.A. Classes was far in excess of that made to the instructors and teachers con- ducting classes organised by the Education Authorities, and this occasioned some discontent. I am writing of the time when the late Government was in power, and wonder if the present Minister of Education has been influenced by the anomalies mentioned above— which, if they still exist, would, in my opinion, justify some economies. Further, some of the classes conducted by the W.E.A. in " higher " political economy, medieval history, &c., were not appreciated by the type of student who attended the classes, as was evidenced by the dwindling numbers after the first few lectures.—Yours faithfully,
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