Heritage projectLearning about the ECA’s archive

Mark FreemanDepartment of Economic and Social HistoryM.Freeman@arts.gla.ac.uk

Educational Settlements Association

• established 1919 (as Northern Settlements Association) – Quakers

• York Settlement 1909; Swarthmore, Leeds 1909; Beechcroft, Birkenhead, 1914

• post-WW1: Letchworth, Plymouth (Swarthmore Hall), Rugby, Walthamstow, Bristol, Islington (John Woolman), Balham, Gateshead (Bensham Grove)

• residential colleges – Woodbrooke, Fircroft, Hillcroft, etc.

Arnold Rowntree

early educational settlements

Bristol Folk House (left)

Percival Guild-house, Rugby (right)

Financial support: Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Educational Settlements Association

• from 1927: settlements in depressed areas – e.g. Maes-yr-Haf, Rhondda; Rock House, Seaham Harbour (pictured)

Support from Pilgrim Trust, Carnegie UK Trust, Special Areas Commissioners

State support: the Board of Education and LEAs

• Adult Education Regulations 1924 – ‘responsible bodies’, including WEA and ESA

• many LEAs ran courses in settlements (not a statutory duty to provide adult education)

• the beginnings of a funding relationship with the national and local state

• ESA conference 1929: ‘after ten years’ work, an Educational Settlement should be well established and able to support itself with the help of Government grants and … if not it should be closed down’

After the Second World War

• renamed Educational Centres Association

• spread of the ‘centre idea’• new leaders:

– Ray Lamb (right)– John Allaway– Harold Marks– Konrad Elsdon

• new relationships with LEAs and centralgovernment

The ECA archive: Institute of Education, London

• 17 boxes, with more added recently• minutes of council and executive meetings

since 1919• annual reports and miscellaneous pamphlets

(e.g. Community Education, 1938)• ESA/ECA periodicals: Common Room 1923-50;

Phoenix 1950s; Centre Line 1990s• conferences/correspondence, esp.

1980s/1990s• accounts and statistics of membership

The ECA archive (2)

• ECA and individual centres (e.g. Walthamstow)

Learning from the ECA archive (1)

• key individuals in the history of adult education– Basil Yeaxlee 1883-1967 (coined term

‘lifelong learning’)– William Hazelton– Ray Lamb– John Allaway (speeches, lectures)

• curriculum– statistics of courses and enrolments– informal activities: drama, music, etc.– formal vs. informal provision

Learning from the ECA archive (2)

• governance– relations between ECA and member centres– relations between independent providers and

government (national and local)– student representation and education for

citizenship• ‘The community side of Settlement work makes a

very real contribution by cultivating the sense of responsibility in the students. The fellowship of the Common Room … the organisation of clubs and committees – and a large responsibility for the government of the separate institutions and the whole organisation, are effective forms of training for good citizenship.’ – annual report, 1931-2

Learning from the ECA archive (3)

• persistent themes in the history of adult education:

– ‘Many of the hopes entertained at the end of the war have not been realised … Fewer new centres have been opened than was expected but the E.C.A. has been able to foster many new developments in adult education. Although the work of the E.C.A. will necessarily be on a modest scale for the next few years it still has a heavy responsibility. Financial stringency in official quarters throws increased responsibility on voluntary bodies[.] The faith and courage which went to the founding of the existing centres may still be mobilised to open new centres. The things for which the Educational Centres stand are badly needed in the world today.’ – draft annual report, 1949-50.