ABSTRACT
One of the few institutional initiatives in community education in Northern Ireland was the decision by the New University of Ulster to establish, in 1972, an Institute of Continuing Education at Magee University College, Londonderry. University adult education departments in Great Britain have, historically, sought to establish such a close relationship with their local community as a practical illustration of their sense of social responsibility. Initially the course commenced with nine full-time and thirteen part-time students. It was an immediate success even though it was liberal and academic. The work at the Institute became in fact a journey, a learning process, in which views about community education and community action altered and changed in the light of theory and practice. A local informal study group was established in a community centre in the estate and a programme of talks and discussions agreed, and organised, by the group in association with a tutor from the Institute.
