Sir Edward and the Tiger
By WE 12 BUBM 1.11 STER Director' of the Department of Extra-Mural Studies, University of London
There is perhaps no branch ot our vast educa- tional system which should more attract within its particular sphere the aid and encouragement of the State than adult education. . . The appetite of adults to be shown the foundations and processes of thought will never be denied by a British Administration cherishing the continuity of our island life.
WINSTON CHURCHILL wrote these words in 1953 when he was Prime Minister. They were part of a famous letter sent to the TUC, whose general secretary had protested against cuts in grants for adult education proposed by Miss Horsburgh, the Minister of Education.
Sir Edward Boyle has now returned to the attack. Remembering the outcry caused by his predecessor eleven years ago, he is more cautious. He is not applying a cut. He has quietly told the university extra-mural departments and the WEA that there must be a standstill in grants for adult education. But with rising costs and vast increases in all other forms of educational expenditure this does, of course, mean that adult education is forced to fall behind. Why?
The Minister defends his action by saying that 'we cannot advance simultaneously on all fronts. This sounds reasonable enough until you look at the actual sums paid out by his Ministry for this purpose. The total amount of these grants for all university extra-mural departments in England and Wales is about £600,000 a year, a trifling figure compared with other items of expenditure.
A standstill of this, kind must inevitably result in a reduction of the very good 'work now being done. As the TUC told Winston Churchill in 1953, in no branch of the field of education does the nation get better value for the money ex- pended: to every pound so proVided there. were added voluntary contributions and voluntary ser- vices by the organisations—such as the WEA- which accepted responsibility for the provision of adult classes.
Perhaps the Minister or his advisers have judged this to be a good time to do 'away with these outside bodies altogether by starving them of funds. These so-called 'responSible bodies'— university extra-mural departments and the WEA —may look administratively untidy, and a great many things can be done in the name of tidiness. The Chief Inspector for Adult Education, Mr. Salter Davies., in a lecture some months ago urged the WEA to rely increasinel■ on the local educa- lion authorities. This, as he frankly recognised, may make the WEA feel that they are being vited to take a ride on a tiger, and he had no reassurance to offer, only an imaginary incident not recorded by Edward Lear: In her last conscious moments the young 1141 was aware of the consoling voice of the tiger In her ear saying, 'You and I together can achievfl more than either of us could separately.'
But why should the Minister think this a goad • moment for feeding tigers with responsibf, bodies?
The answer may be that the TUC is judged 0, be too preoccupied with its own domestic pro, lems, while the Opposition is too absorbed -1,1 thinking about the development of techniet education and the 'university of the air' to 00 much for the fate of liberal adult education oti the ground. At any rate, some Labour spokesine have given the impression that they do not great)) mind what happens to adult education. That would be a strange attitude to adopt 1'00 party which, in 1945, had more than 100 menthe in Parliament who had been tutors or students it adult classes. For the nation it would be intoler able at this time to weaken the forces of unive sity extra-mural education which have proved important in raising the level of public debate' political knowledge and economic understandil The Robbins Report spoke of the gratitude and respect which the universities, the local authorinc and their partners had won by theircontributO to. the general education of the community. Extra". mural departments today are faced with mar} pressing demands for more part-time higher di): cation from professional groups—social worker': police officers, trade unionists and businessmeill,• who want to keep abreast of new developnienif in their own fields of activity. The great debate university expansion,' the new educational vision broadcasts, the growing general for educational advance have all helped to aro`l'ii this new interest. The country needs more pc"}'' prepared to increase their knowledge, and cliH`j, awareness, able to handle books and ideas. lo press themselves clearly in speech and vo.1111,, and to distinguish facts from fancy. That a ' the Robbins Report underlined the vital of ne.‘'.0,ti'1,1
.. stud■ • I, of 'further support for this kind
would he the worst time to make adult edn, o• once more the victim 4 economy.
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