CAB129-33 — Page 443

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for from UNESCO's limited budget for reconstruction of the war-devastated countries. The exclusive requirements of the war-devastated4countries were now, they argued, being challenged by the even vaster needs of the un- developed and underprivileged communities of the world. The need to raise standards was as great as the need to restore standards, and the horizons of fundamental education reached further than those of reconstruction. The Conference shared this belief and adopted a resolution proposed by the United Kingdom Delegation, recommending that "UNESCO will in future years effect a gradual transition from the reconstruction of war-devastated. areas to constructive development of education, science and culture" and instructing the Director-General to consider in 1949 the methods by which this transition can be made.

CHAPTER II.—EDUCATION

20. Clearing House in General Education. The policy and programme in education has now been built round the simple function of serving as a clearing-house "for the collection, analysis and distribution of information, for expert counsel and for the exchange of materials and personnel between Member States." This policy cannot be effectively implemented merely by the collecting of facts in Unesco House or by answering questions by correspondence. A clearing house is not primarily an information bureau. Its main purpose is to ensure that educational experience and developments in one part of the world are made readily available in other parts which need them. In short, it is concerned with the cross fertilisation of educa- tional ideas and practice between nations.

21. Educational Missions and Seminars.-To accomplish this purpose, several techniques are being developed. The first is that of educational missions, whereby experts and advisers from one country or group of countries will be sent direct to any country who requests help to develop its educational system. Missions are already being sent to Afghanistan and the Philippines. Another method is that of educational seminars. In 1949, one seminar is to be arranged in the Far East and assistance will be given to a second in Latin America on measures to combat mass-illiteracy. Pre- parations are also authorised for two seminars in 1950, possible on the teaching of geography and the revision of text-books. The United Kingdom Delegation, while it strongly supported the use of educational missions, was obliged to oppose the proposals concerning seminars originally put forward by the French and American Delegations, who would have preferred several more to be held in 1949. It was our belief that seminars are a new tech- nique, costly both in money and time, and we wished to study more carefully the results of those already held before authorising more. The resolution adopted was therefore a compromise between differing views.

22. Fundamental Education.-Based upon this policy of a clearing house function, and using it as one of its central features, is the programme of fundamental education. The subjects with which this clearing house in fundamental education will deal are in the nature of a definition of the scope: of fundamental education; visual aids, language teaching methods, libraries, indigenous arts, rural small-scale industries, health and hygiene, agriculture: and the conservation of natural resources.

23. Pilot Projects. As testing grounds or nurseries where the process: of cross fertilisation may be nurtured and developed under actual conditions,. pilot projects in fundamental education remain as important activities in the programme. But they are limited to those in Haiti, China, Peru and British East Africa. Experience has brought home to delegates that UNESCO