The Lamp of Wisdom Still Shines Brightly

“ Why are we an uneducated nation and how can we become an educated one?” An extract from the foreword to Learning to Succeed? Well, no actually. This is the opening sentence in Sir Richard Livingstone’s book, The Future in Education, which was first published in 1941. Sir Richard was president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and the slim volume that he produced during the dark years of the Second World War has enjoyed a lasting and beneficial effect on lifelong learning.

In his quest to develop new opportunities for adult learning, Sir Richard had been greatly impressed with the Danish and Swedish Folk High Schools. He felt that these residential institutions provided particular advantages:

“No doubt the lamp of wisdom can burn in solitary shrines and even in dismal lecture halls. But for the many it will not burn brightly, if at all, unless fanned by that social, corporate life which exists in a residential university and which both educates and makes education attractive”.

For University read College, because these words helped to inspire a national movement that has flourished for half a century. Sir Richard anticipated the early protests that could follow from a cash-strapped, post-war Britain:

“There will be no need to build colleges. All over the country great houses will be vacant, calling for occupation, purchasable for a song. Why should not each Local Education Authority start its own House of Education?”

And this is exactly what happened: this wide scale modern development was one of the great educational successes of the early post-war years. With central government encouragement, about 20 local educational authorities had established their own short stay residential colleges by 1951.

Since then, more colleges have been founded whilst others have sadly disappeared. The majority are owned and managed by local authorities although some are operated by charitable trusts. Most are located in historic properties that project elegance and style. The majority also enjoy quiet, rural locations and beautiful grounds, which all help to provide the inspirational environment that Sir Richard had sought. Each college has developed its own special character, where people can indulge in their passion for learning over a few days together, freed from the distractions of the outside world.

The short-term residential colleges have certainly valued the support that NIACE has provided across those five decades. Many readers will remember the articles that Guy Hunter, the first Warden of Urchfont Manor, wrote in Adult Education during the 1950’s. Further contributions about the importance of residential learning followed from other distinguished colleagues including Donald Garside, Alan Kingsbury and John Field. Until recently, NIACE published an anthology of residential courses in Time to Learn [and now published twice-yearly by City & Guilds].

Many colleges, like Alston Hall, have recently celebrated their Golden Jubilee. The College was officially opened by General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, President of the National Institute of Adult Education in September 1956, some six years after the Hall was first used by day continuation students. The college is owned and supported by Lancashire County Council.

The world has changed considerably since those early days. The Colleges have adapted well to these changes, including the challenge of coping with little or no public subsidy. Dormitories may have given way to ensuite bedrooms but the ideal of providing liberal adult education with no entry requirements or examinations has survived. The special communal life that comes from a residential learning experience leaves a lasting impression on all those who participate.

Some may feel uncomfortable when they see phrases like lifelong learning being used when worklong learning might be more appropriate.

“Our education, like our civilisation, is penetrated with an unintelligent utilitarianism, which makes us feel that we ought to be studying something “useful”…..” (Sir Richard Livingstone)

The good news is that liberal adult education in the residential colleges is very much alive and well….and useful! We hope there will always be a place for those who appreciate the unique and timeless benefits that these Colleges provide - long after the latest educational fads have noisily arrived and mercifully moved on their way.