Unity of purpose essential

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

Community education is one of those slightly intangible things. We all agree it has substantial benefits. It is just that those benefits are hard to measure.

I have just finished my first term of community education in the city (woodwork, if you must know) and I'm grateful for the opportunity to acquire some long-needed practical abilities. All being well, I'll be back in the new year.

So it has been sad to report on the disunity among Wanganui's Community Education Service - a service that has battled on against challenging odds, picking up a national award. Two CES stalwarts, Rosemary Hovey (who kindly squeezed me on my course at the last minute) and Lidy Schouw, have resigned after a parting of the ways - part personal; part philosophical, it seems - with the CES board.

Community education has been a struggle since its government funding was cut in 2009. People lost their jobs and old codgers - and others - lost the chance to get out and about, stimulate their brains and acquire some useful skills.

Community education had become "a luxury" we could no longer afford. The service flat-lined elsewhere, but in Wanganui the old ticker kept on pumping, and students have continued to enjoy those substantial benefits.

But the bottom line is dollars and cents and the new board's more corporate approach has been to seek sponsorship, something that doesn't seem to have sat easily with staff.

It is a credit to those involved that the split has been done without rancour, and we must trust the CES board's new direction will bear fruit. Chairwoman Jan Bullen is confident it will (see story on page 6). Tomorrow, the 12 financial members of CES will meet and want answers about the loss of respected staff. Whatever else emerges at that meeting, let us hope there is a unity of purpose and a strategy to keep community education alive and kicking in Wanganui.