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The Village Colleges by Margaret Hunter

Eighty five years ago a truly remarkable man wrote a memorandum which changed the face of rural education not only in his own county authority but throughout the country and beyond. His name was Henry Morris and he was, without doubt, one of the most creative minds in education that this country has been fortunate to have. At the age of thirty five, and by then secretary (now known as Executive Director for Education), his vision was for young people and children and for the reinvigoration of community life in this county. His overriding idea was to restore a sense of community and life into rural villages. Buildings should be planned from the beginning not simply as secondary schools, but as centres for the whole community.

There was to be a secondary school, local library, sports facilities for all ages, music and drama opportunities for young and old, workshops, meeting rooms for all local organisations and a centre for entertainment and public meetings. This building would cater for a number of villages and represent the very best in design and architecture. Morris set the highest standards not only for the building itself but for the improvement of the whole curriculum and the quality of teaching. He insisted on education by doing, rather than by ‘chalk and talk’ as he said.

He faced strong and persistent opposition from those who considered his ideas extravagant and impractical. However he had the determination and the dexterity to find others with his enthusiasm to come forward and in 1930 Sawston Village College was opened by the then Prince of Wales.

I came to Melbourn Village College in 1965 with the advantage of five years of experience as Adult Tutor at Swavesey Village College where I had organised a Community programme for the seven villages in the catchment area, under a splendid Warden who had himself been an adult tutor in one of Leicestershire’s Village Colleges.

Melbourn, then in its sixth year, had seen four other adult tutors and needed continuity and stability. There was a fine range of practical classes, and the dancing groups were well supported. A new drama group gave its first production of ‘Hay Fever’ in my first year and a full programme of University Extra Mural classes included such subjects as archaeology, natural history, philosophy, literature and international affairs. At weekends there was an arts club with recitals, poetry readings and lectures. All this was supported by a wonderful members’ association which also organised parties and dances.

After leaving Melbourn I took up a post as Head of Community at the first purpose built Community College in North Devon, with my former Warden from Swavesey Village College. I have worked for almost all my career in this world and have experienced the endless opportunities that these colleges offered for the whole family, and as a means by which individuals could be brought together and find refreshment for body and mind.

This precious heritage has been allowed to wither away. Melbourn Village College, now celebrating fifty years, is certainly a fine school, albeit hedged around with endless regulations, but its vital ethos has gone. The buildings created for the whole community are now no longer available to that community. Charges for the use of rooms are such that local organisations have to look elsewhere. The vital presence of a head who had responsibility for all the varied aspects of the Village College is replaced by a Head who is burdened with all the onerous demands that are now imposed on schools. There is no professional whose duty it is to oversee all the various community activities and to initiate development where possible. Instead an administrative officer is shared between colleges and activities operate on one night of the week.

Funding is now, more than ever, on the decrease but to allow something so valuable to die is at best a very questionable response. This is precisely a time when families so desperately need to be brought together, when young people, both at school and after, need more to engage their interest and in touch with other age groups; when many in middle age are being left redundant and without aim; and when more are reaching old age and need something to enrich their lives. This is to say nothing about those in their 20s and 30s who need to be stretched mentally and physically.

Voluntary groups are very often filling the gap and organisations such as the U3A could profitably become the University for All Ages.

The Village Colleges met all this and more. Why should we lose it?