1942: Adult Education

Entry of the United States into the war at the close of 1941 gave immediate point and cogency to the defense activities in education for adults undertaken in the two previous years. The year 1942 saw hundreds of thousands of Americans newly engaged in serious study connected with some phase of the war effort. Classes in air raid precautions, fire prevention, first aid, nurses' aid, nutrition, child care in emergencies, and like activities came into being rapidly. The already accelerated program of training for workers in war industry, both in the public vocational schools and within industry itself, progressed to new highs in enrollment. The National Citizenship Education Program was launched by the Federal government for large numbers of aliens desiring to become citizens.

In the Army and Navy, educational efforts have been confined in the main to instruction in the business of warfare. No attempt has been made as yet to establish a comprehensive educational service for soldiers and sailors. Progress has been made, however, in the development of an Army Correspondence Institute, and in one limited provision, in the spring of 1942, for an Army Orientation Course of lectures offered to officers and enlisted men. Efforts are also being made to overcome the high percentage of illiteracy encountered in the Selective Service drafts.

While discussion of war issues and on informational aspects of the world conflict continues in forums and in smaller groupings, still since Pearl Harbor the temper of the people has been to work and fight rather than to talk. This has resulted in lack of understanding of issues and, in some areas, in apathetic attitudes. Toward the end of 1942, promising efforts to overcome this situation and to produce a genuine civilian morale were launched by two Federal agencies directly concerned, the Office of War Information and the Office of Civilian Defense. The present trend is for close coordination between the community adult education councils and agencies, on the one hand, and the local defense councils, on the other.

National adult education organization in the university, public school, and the voluntary agency fields took first steps in 1942 toward closer cooperation in presenting a united front for adult education. The newly established Institute of Adult Education of Teachers College, Columbia University, made its initial contribution to the literature of the field in its Suggested Studies in Adult Education, an outline of a comprehensive research and study program for itself and other agencies, organizations, and institutions. The Institute also published the Report of its Commission on Post-War Training and Adjustment, an inquiry into the principles underlying the proposed program of re-education for returned soldiers and sailors and workers to be displaced from war industry upon a declaration of peace.

1941: Adult Education

For the second year adult education activities in the United States were closely related to the defense effort of the nation. With little falling off in the regular aspects of their work, adult education centers throughout the country took a more active role in education for the national emergency. During the year, reading and discussion about defense also increased strongly among adults, while there were special developments affecting men in the armed forces and defense workers.

Perhaps not since the first American Revolution have more books, pamphlets, and study guides been offered to adults on questions of national polity. Both new and established public agencies, voluntary and governmental, issued informative materials for practical use. A vast amount of propaganda material swelled the volume of publications. Men and women throughout the country availed themselves of these special resources for study and discussion.

As defense production gathered volume, training programs for workers, some already under way in 1940, grew in number and size. These included the program utilizing the shop facilities of public schools, a training program in industry itself, and others for the training of engineers, agricultural workers, and NYA and CCC enrollees.

With the increase in the armed forces of the United States came also the beginnings of an educational program for enlisted men. This program included the establishments of libraries at camps and centers, the enlargement of free or low-cost opportunities for correspondence study, and the planning for further offerings by the Joint Army and Navy Committee for Morale and Recreation, headed by Brigadier General Frederick H. Osborn.

The Emergency Program of the American Association for Adult Education, launched late in 1940, was vigorously carried forward through the greater part of the year. This program included the holding of thirteen regional conferences designed to relate adult education to defense, and the publication of material for adult groups, particularly Defense Papers, a monthly study-aid magazine for adult groups; and Defense Digests, a pamphlet series.

Adult education in general will be affected by changes in the character of the American Association for Adult Education. Effective Sept. 30, 1941, the Carnegie Corporation of New York ceased the contributions to the Association which have been the latter's chief source of support in the past. However, at the same time the Institute of Adult Education, supported by the Corporation, began its work at Teachers College, Columbia University, under the director of the Association. The Institute will operate for a ten-year period, with funds of $350,000. The American Association for Adult Education will continue as a voluntary organization, while the Institute, in close cooperation with it, will continue certain aspects of the Association's former work, particularly leader-training and the preparation of study materials for popular use. See also EDUCATION.

1940: Adult Education

Preparations for national defense have had a direct effect on adult education during the past year. As a result of the urgent need for trained men for the defense industries, the number of adults participating in educational activities increased sharply, especially in vocational schools. Many of these schools have coordinated their programs with the needs of local industries and have extended their hours to give employed men additional training and unemployed men a chance to acquire skills necessary to obtain employment.

Another outcome of the defense program noticeable in 1940 was the desire of groups throughout the nation to discuss issues related to national problems. Responding to the needs of discussion clubs, forums, and other groups, the American Association for Adult Education began a series of publications designed to aid leaders and members of clubs in planning and conducting their programs. These publications, entitled Defense Papers and Defense Digests, are factual in content and are written to promote discussion of issues of importance to Americans.

In many communities plans were made for adult education councils to serve as the educational arm of the local defense committees now being formed in all states. To aid these groups, the American Association for Adult Education late in 1940 undertook the publication of Community Councils in Action, which will serve as a clearing house of information regarding councils and their activities.

Twelve regional conferences on adult education were held in twelve different localities during 1940. A series of regional conferences on adult education and defense was inaugurated in Springfield, Massachusetts, in December. The Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the American Association for Adult Education, held in New York City, and attended by 1,500 persons, received wide attention in the public press.

Numerous publications on adult education made their appearance the past year. The American Library Association issued a handbook of suggestions for projects in adult education. Publications of the American Association for Adult Education included studies dealing with workers' education, vocational education for adults, commercial correspondence schools, motion pictures, and adult education councils. In the public school field, a study on the planning of community schools was issued to aid school administrators and school architects in designing school buildings for general use by the entire community without impairing their usefulness for children.

During the year the National University Extension Association continued its study of extension students to determine the personal and occupational characteristics of these students, to define the geographical areas served by several institutions, to learn the relation of extension centers and students served by correspondence to libraries and other educational facilities, and to analyze certain institutional procedures.

In summary, the year 1940 saw a satisfactory increase in the growth of adult education. Evidence that it is essential to life in a democracy is given in the manner in which it has already become a part of the nation-wide program for defense. See also EDUCATION.

1939: Adult Education

The number of persons taking part in adult education in the United States decreased somewhat during 1939 because of the sharp curtailment of funds for educational purposes by the Works Progress Administration. Both general adult education activities and workers' education programs carried on under the auspices of the WPA suffered sharp reductions in teachings and administrative personnel and a resultant discontinuance of many classes. In consequence, public evening schools, libraries, museums, settlement houses, and special schools for adults have reported an increased use of their resources. There is evidence that the private voluntary adult education agencies may carry even heavier loads in the future. A bill to provide Federal support of adult education failed to pass Congress in 1939.

That there is a decided growth of local interest in adult education is proved by the number of adult education councils now in existence. Nearly sixty regional and local councils have been formed in all parts of the United States by adult education agencies for the purposes of avoiding duplication of effort on the part of member agencies and of forwarding adult education in their particular areas. Many of these organizations serve as clearing houses of information about local activities. Some of them have surveyed community educational activities conducted for the benefit of adults and given publicity to their findings.

Adult educators during the year have been alive to the dangers that beset democracy and have intensified their efforts to make available forums and discussion groups where citizens may discuss today's problems in democratic fashion. Books and pamphlets, especially written to set forth the principles of democratic living in a manner that can be understood by the average citizen, have also been the subject of their attention. The first volumes in The Peoples Library, representing one of the early major attempts of this nature, were issued this year.

Adult education programs in Europe have been suspended, in most countries, because of the war. In England, however, the British Institute of Adult Education has served as consultant for many of the social organizations that are continuing their programs on a wartime basis. In cooperation with the American Association for Adult Education, the Institute is participating in an international study of radio listening groups. In Canada, adult education efforts continue to go forward. Members of the Canadian Association for Adult Education were the guests of the American Association at its annual meeting held at Niagara Falls, Canada.

The American Association for Adult Education continued the publication of its series on the social significance of adult education in 1939 but announced that, during the coming year, there would be a shift in emphasis in its program from study and evaluation of adult education to experimentation, demonstration, and research.

1938: Adult Education

Adult education, which has been defined by Frederick P. Keppel as 'the process of learning, on the initiative of the individual, seriously and consecutively undertaken as a supplement to some primary occupation,' gained a satisfactory number of new proponents during 1938. It has been estimated that there are now over 27,000,000 individuals participating in educational activities conducted by libraries, forums, settlements, churches, workers' education classes, evening schools, and other agencies and institutions.

A recent development that has gained strength during the last year throughout the country is the establishment of schools for adults held in public school buildings in the late afternoon and evening. In an increasing number of cities and towns, classrooms, workshops, and gymnasiums of public schools are being opened to adults, many of them parents whose children attend day classes, for courses in almost any subject for which there is sufficient demand. Classes are taught by members of the regular public school faculty, by laymen with a broad knowledge of the subject, or by faculty members from near-by colleges and universities. Sometimes a small fee is charged; sometimes courses are provided by the local board of education without charge.

During 1938 eleven regional adult education conferences for the purpose of discussing local problems were held under the joint auspices of the American Association for Adult Education and regional adult education councils. There are now some fifty state, city, and regional councils of adult education agencies, whose membership is composed of social workers, librarians, representatives of men's and women's clubs, museum workers, and others interested in the education of adults. These organizations serve as clearinghouses of information about local educational activities. Some of them carry on publicity campaigns and make surveys of community resources for adult education.

Chiefly because of the number of Works Progress Administration classes, there are now more publicly supported adult education classes than heretofore. About 1,250,000 persons are enrolled in WPA classes. It is possible that the percentage of federally supported programs will increase in the near future, for at present in Washington a series of proposals has been formulated which provide for the heavy subsidization of adult education by the Federal Government.

Much printed material on adult education was issued during the year by the university presses and commercial publishers. The American Association for Adult Education published eight volumes in the series on the social significance of adult education begun in 1937. These included studies of libraries, men's and women's clubs, special schools, parent education, the drama, and music in relation to adult education.

Workers' education during 1938 was curtailed to some extent by the continued strife between the Committee for Industrial Organization and the American Federation of Labor, although it is estimated that there are over 100,000 workers enrolled in classes.

In Europe adult education was adversely affected by present political and economic conditions. However, the work in the British Isles and Scandinavia, where the movement for many years has been powerful, continued to go forward without interruption.