HISTORICAL TRENDS

 

A confused world, in the last few years, again has called upon organization,
legislation and education to help solve the problems of workers. Workers’
education in particular has answered the challenge vigorously and enthusias-
tically, as in the comparable experimental period occurring immediately after
the war. New trade union groups, both national and local, have entered the
field; other organizations, including independent resident schools, Young
Women’s Christian Associations, settlements, workers’ housing enterprises,
political parties, and consumers’ organizations have added support. The
American Labor Education Service offers assistance not only to resident mem-
ber schools but to many other interested groups. The outstanding victory of
the period has been the recognition by the federal government, since 1933, of
the need for adult education for workers. This has been evidenced by the allo-
cation of relief funds for the employment of unemployed teachers in workers’
classes, first under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and later
under the Work Projects Administration. The closing of Brookwood Labor
College in 1937, primarily because of lack of funds, has been the most signifi-
cant defeat.’

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF WORKERS’ EDUCATION

Workers’ education has developed singleness of purpose slowly. The
statement was made at the 1924 Brookwood conference that “workers’ educa-
tion in the United States has not a definite philosophy; it is not unified in its
aims, nor has it agreed upon its ultimate purpose.”° At that time, cultural,
welfare, political and trade union organizations sponsored workers’ education
for different reasons. Cultural groups emphasized that workers mainly needed
to learn how to use language proficiently and to develop leisure-time activities.
Welfare organizations desired primarily to give workers diverse means of
social renaissance. The equipment of the laboring class with socialistic or

 

were sent to the conference from the following organizations: Amalgamated Clothing
Workers’ Union, American Federation of Teachers, Columbia Conserve Company,
Cooperative League, Duluth Works Peoples College, International Ladies’ Garment
Workers’ Union, New Workers’ School, Rand School of Social Science, Southern Indus-
trial League, Wisconsin School for Workers, Workers’ School, and from state federa-
tions and women’s auxiliaries of trade unions and labor colleges from different sections
of the country.

® Commonwealth College closed in 1940.
° Theresa Wolfson, “Materials, Textbooks, Syllabi,” Proceedings of the Conference of
Teachers in Workers’ Education, at Brookwood, February 23-24, 1924, p. 50.

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