The following replies have been received in response to the memo on workers' adult education. We will publish others as they come in. From Frank Allaun, M.P.:
eeeeetes, I am very interested in the big educational project you PFOPOSCeece From Henry Collins:
Many thanks for your circular of the llth regarding the proposed educational society.
My preliminary and tentative reactions are not hopeful. The kind of sustained effort needed to launch a new educational movement calls for a degree of ideological commitment - and agreement - which I am sure does not exist and is, in fact, antipathetic in the present climate of empiricism, This is not an argument for capitulating to the climate. On the contrary, such ventures as The Week, N.L.R., Views, New Left schools, Socialist Register, etc., are all valuable. But your proposal requires the creation of a new apparatus which would absorb considerable energy and compete with the W.E.A. and T.U.C. There might well come a time when, as in 1909, sufficient numbers of trade unionists and working class students are discontented enough with existing provision to make a new educational apparatus fsasible and useful. I doubt whether this is such a time. My scepticism, however, is related to the possibilities of a national movement and not meant to disparage local initiatives on a more modest scaleeeece From Brian Simisters
It was with sreat interest that I read about the proposed educational project in The Week. Ken Coates and Tony Topham have outlinela scheme which would be of great benefit to the Labour movement, if carried through, particularly following the demise of the NCLC. The complex problems facing trade union and Labour Party members will be thrown up by incomes policies, automation, and regional differences in economic prosperity, will stand a better chance of being solved to the advantage of the working class if there is a trade union and Labour Party rank and file with a systematic knowledge of the basic working of modern capitalism, and with an equally systematic stratesy of socialist aims, A socialist education society or workers! university could play a vital role in this connection,
However, there is one snag. If such an educational project is going to be much use, then it must be organised in a big way. Buildings need to be acquired, excellent staff will have to be engaged, and paid wages. Once started, the project will have to be kept up for a number years. There= fore, unless the project can attract large donations from individual trade unions, it will be nothing more than a pipedream. The big question is will the unions pay up? Everything hinges on that,