Welsh Journals

out regard to the fact that many of them cancelled out others-which, of course, was facile, but hope- lessly bad, accountancy. Moreover there was in this crisis a total and complete absence of any con- structive thinking on national lines, for the simple reason that no machinery existed for such a pro- cess. The nearest approach to joint thinking was achieved by a hurried calling up of the clans-the Central Welsh Board, the University Court and the Federation of Education Committees-and through them convening a "national conference" at Porthcawl. The performance of the national bodies of Wales in thus attempting hastily to im- provise national machinery, through which to in- terpret intelligently and collectively Welsh thought on a subject that had aroused considerable inter- est, resulted, as it deserved to do, in the adminis- trative fiasco witnessed at the Porthcawl confer- ence. No incident in recent years has dealt a more serious blow to the prestige of our educa- tional leaders. These proceedings must have im- pressed any thoughtful Welshmen as a poor and ineffective substitute for a standing "national" committee, doing its delicate and serious work, week in week out, quietly, efficiently, effectively, with full knowledge and with a deep sense of na- tional responsibility. A few years ago, the then President of the Board of Education had actually put before our educational leaders an offer to consider proposals for the creation of a body (of persons interested in all forms of education in Wales) which should act as an Advisory Committee to the Board on any matters of national importance affecting Welsh education. This exceedingly important offer was rejected. Apparently it was at once too practical and not spectacular enough; and apparently, also, it was feared that it might tend to rob each little authority, its chairman and its Director of Educa- tion, of a certain degree of independence, should national policy at any time seem to call for some- thing of that kind. At all events, the facts re- main that an Advisory Committee for Wales at the Board would have enabled Welsh national opinion on all matters of general importance to find its own expression, with competent expert assistance at its command; and that it would also have been an official recognition of the principle that a represent- ative body of Welshmen could form an essential part of the machinery of government in White- hall. Once more, however, local considerations triumphed over national policy, through the absence of sound national leadership. The second big fact that stands in our favour during the past twenty years is the growth of adult education. The statistical evidence of this must now be well known; and, though much could be written on this theme, I will content myself by saying that, in my opinion, the adult education movement in Wales is the only redeeming feature in our own activities in Wales in a period which can otherwise only be described as a time of rather stereotyped progress. And here candour demands that it should be repeated that the initiative did not come from our Education Authorities. It came from the people themselves. Indeed, while some authorities have slowly come to look with favour upon this movement, some others have utterly failed even yet to see its signi- ficance, and have consistently refused to give it support or even encouragement. The reasons are not far to seek and they are interesting. The two main obstacles to recognition by official bodies have been (a) that the movement is largely due to the activities of voluntary organisations, and (b) that it has been judged through political spectacles. The former objection is based upon the amour propre of authorities and their officials, who like to feel that they and they only should be concerned with education in their own area, and that volun- tary workers, even when working on national lines, are intruders. The latter objection cuts two ways to one type of political mind, the movement is too much like an educational wing of a political party; to another it is not sufficiently like the educational wing of that same political party. Despite all these trivialities, which, of course, reflect only upon the objectors, the movement has grown apace. And it will go on growing, because it is based upon an inherently sound educational principle, viz., that grown men and women are capable of further education, and need further education, and are entitled to further education, and that the forms of education they need are best supplied with a minimum of regulation and stand- ardization. As an inevitable corollary to the move- ment for the liberal education of grown men and women a new type of college came into being in 1927. It is known as Coleg Harlech. This is a residential college for adults, and repres- ents, so far as new types of institutions are con- cerned, the only contribution made in Wales dur- ing the past twenty years to meet those "ideals which change with the growing experience of a nation." It will be noted, however, that here, too, the initiative came from individual men and women, and not from our local authorities. Taking a more general survey of the whole field of education, I feel justified in, nay I am reluctantly driven to, describing the past twenty years as a most unproductive period. It has been a period of lost opportunities; a period of effective inquiry followed by ineffective action; a period of singular sterility. And all this is true after full allowance is made for the social upheaval caused by the world War. Let me say at once that the main features of our