Evening star., 1946-12-12
Adult Education
Clearing House
Urged for DC.
sociol Survey Report
Traces Weakness to
Lock Of Coordination

Traces Weakness to
Lock of c Coordination
The lack of coordination among
educational facilities in Washing
ton is the weak link in adult educa-
ton here, according to a report
issued today by the social survey.
The report, prepared by the Adult
Education Committee appointed by
the Council of Social Agencies and
financed by the Community Chest
recommended that d fulI-time adult
education clearing house be estab-
lished here as a community func-
tion.
Some of the elements of such a
service now exist in the informa-
tional work being done by the Public
Library, the report said, but this
should be concentrated In one
place and greatly broadened in
scope. 1t also was suggested there
: be developed here an educational
counseling service for adults and an
extension of activities in some exist
ing community wide organization
like the public schools.
The committee also recommended
the work being done by the Public
Library be extended by granting ad-
ditional funds for an adequate staff
and that a division of adult educa-
ton be established in the Council
of Social Agencies.
Resources Cited.
Washington, the report said,
should have the most varied, richest
and most generally accessible pro-
gram of adult education of any
city in the United States, because
it has a wealth of resources
libraries, museums, art galleries,
schools and colleges Washington
has a better educated, better paid,
and younger adult population than
most cities of its size, together with
a minimum of poverty and illiteracy,
1t was pointed out. Yet, with these
great potentialities, its adult edu-
cation program is unevenly, de-
veloped, reaching but small por-
tion of the population, and is
scantily supported and hedged In
with restrictions.
I'm content, the program of adult
education opportunities now avail
able to Washington adults, the re-
port said, sis heavily vocational and
academic in character, with only
a scattering OF opportunities for in
formal non-eredit education. In
adequacies in the latter area are|
particularly evident in the fields of
family life, health, economic
and liberal education.
Suffrage Factor Blamed.
+, ~Very few of the agencies and
organizations now conducting adult
education programs offer anything
but a rudimentary educational coun-
selling service for adult participants.
With the exception of the District
Public Schools Department of t
Guidance, there is no single source
of general counseling for adults in
the city, ~ ~.z ~
The report added "this apparent
apathy may in part be attributable
to the fact that residents of Wash
lngton nave no suffrage, and there
fore find the discussion of local and
issues too. academic
to be worth worrying about"
Washington's overall adult edu-
cation program is made up of a
collection of large and small pro-
grams, operated by a host of
agencies and organizations, both
public and private, the survey group
found.
These were said to include II ac-
credited universities and colleges,
more than $50 commercial schools,
a public evening school program
operating through some IA centers,
a public library system consisting of
a main library and Is branches, and
constantly varying number of Fed
eral agencies. Also mentioned were
recreation and group work agencies,
private museums and art galleries,
churches, clubs and associations, and
great number of miscellaneous
agencies. Practically all the pro-
grams are limited in scope and pur- |
pose and are conducted on part
time basis, it was said.
Limited Programs.
Accredited institutions of higher
learning in the District take little
responsibility for the provision of
opportunities for adult education
beyond limited programs of late
afternoon and evening academic in
struction for part-time students and
the occasional sponsorship of insti-
tutes, conferences and short-term
courses for special groups, the re-
port said.
Perhaps because Washington has
no large industries" the report said,
land in consequence is spared some
of the problems their presence Gre
ates in other large cities, there has
never been a strong workers educa-
tional movement"
The committee which made the
survey was headed by Mrs. Henry
Grattan Doyle, president of the
Board of Education, with Dr.. John
L. Keddy of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition as vice-chairman. The TECH
nician assigned to make the survey
was Glen Burch, associate professor
of adult education at Columbia Uni
versity, and editor of the Adult Edu-
cation Journal.