438 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— L. 



courses ; types of students — numbers, ages and occupations ; the 

 range of subjects. A comparison with previous years in an attempt to 

 discover trends. 



3. An examination of the existing provision with a view to discovering 

 how far adult education, in its present form, distribution and amount, 

 is capable of achieving its aims. 



4. The prospects and possibilities of adult education in relation to 

 changing needs. 



Mr. J. F. HORRABIN. 



Education is a social process and it must, whether consciously or not, 

 be related to a specific social ideal. In a world where institutions and 

 ideologies are changing, education must aim either at assisting to maintain 

 stability or at preparing men and women for change. 



Orthodox state-controlled education is designed to ensure the stability 

 of existing institutions. It inculcates static ideas. It selects from the 

 mass of facts which constitute ' history ' those which appear to lead up to 

 the present as the final stage of society. Any questioning of the absolute 

 ideas or of the selection of facts so taught is (by the orthodox-minded) 

 regarded as ' propaganda,' not education. 



Real education to-day must be ' propagandist.' The educationist who 

 pretends to be ' above the battle ' is standing for the status quo in society. 



Adult education, to be a live force, must serve the social needs and aims 

 of the organised working-class movement ; i.e. it must be directed towards 

 radical changes in society. 



Mr. W. E. Williams. 



In a democratic movement such as adult education it is necessary to 

 secure from time to time, in a systematic way, the views of the rank-and-file 

 student. It is true that the ' consumer ' of adult education gets his oppor- 

 tunity to say what he thinks at occasional branch meetings of his particular 

 movement, but these opinions are too local and ephemeral to attain much 

 collective value. It was for this reason that the British Institute of Adult 

 Education, after prolonged inquiry among several hundred adult students, 

 produced the first symposium of student-opinion about what the movement 

 provides in certain of its classes. From the less publicised parts of this 

 report some of the items of student-opinion are summarised ; e.g. Is 

 Adult Education provision adequate to-day ? Does it unreasonably adhere 

 to the University tradition established by Albert Mansbridge ? Does it 

 suffer by its lack of buildings, its lack of comfort and dignity ? Does its 

 practice of ' impartial ' teaching blunt the cutting edge of the students' 

 social zeal ? Can it be extended or remodelled to attract the many millions 

 who so far resist its appeal, etc. etc. ? 



Afternoon. 

 Excursion to Lowdham Grange Borstal Institution. 



Friday, September 3. 



Discussion on Education for the community (i 0.0). 



Sir Frank Fletcher. 



