ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the main characteristics of what has been called the ‘great tradition’ of liberal adult education and consider in the light of some current criticisms, the value of the tradition. Another ‘new lamp’ is the idea of permanent education. The districts and branches had a high degree of autonomy and the branches were, in the early days, as much federations of local organisations interested in education as collections of individual members. A conference at Oxford in 1907 led to the appointment of a joint W.E.A.-University committee, which brought out in November 1908 the report Oxford and Working-class Education. One of Mansbridge’s greatest achievements was securing a promise of grant-aid for tutorial classes from the Board of Education. The University College demonstrated its belief in this idea in 1928 by appointing T. H. Searle as its first professor, to head the Department of Adult Education.
