Corporate World Education Fellowship Draft 1921- The World Education Fellowship (WEF), founded as the New Education Fellowship, is an international voluntary and non-partisan organisation, open to educators, members of associated professions and anyone else interested in education at all levels. Although the Fellowship has embraced a wide range of individual philosophies, the central focus has been on child-centred education, social reform through education, democracy, world citizenship, international understanding and the promulgation of world peace. Many famous thinkers and educationists have been involved with the Fellowship and it has forged close links with academic institutions, including the Institute of Education, University of London, and with international organisations, especially UNESCO. The WEF origins can be traced to the 'Fraternity of Education', an international organisation founded in 1915 by Beatrice Ensor to gather together those who believed that the aim of education was to enable teachers to understand the factors involved in developing of human being and their relationships to tackle the problems which were seen to be threatening civilisation. The Fraternity held its meetings within the yearly conferences of 'The New Ideals of Education'. In 1920 Ensor founded 'Education for the New Era' (later The New Era in Home and School'), a quarterly (later monthly) journal for the promotion of reconstruction in education. During the 1920 Fraternity conference it was decided to call a general conference of New educators to be held in France in 1921, with the view to creating an international body for the promotion of world peace through education. The 'New Era International Conference on Education' was held in Calais in the summer of 1921 attended by over a hundred educators from 14 different countries who founded the 'New Education Fellowship' (NEF). The Fellowship was also known as 'La Ligue Internationale pour l'education Nouvelle' in French speaking countries, and 'Der Weltbund für Erneuerung der Erziehung' in German speaking countries. The Fellowship aimed to connected isolated educators interested in new education around the world and to provide a forum for discussion. The scheme of the Fellowship stated that: the Fellowship would have three journals, one in English edited by Ensor ('The New Era'), one in French edited by Adolph Ferriérre, and one in German edited by Elizabeth Rotten; all subscribers to the journals would also be members of the organisation (which continued to 1927); that each country would be autonomous; and that there would be a world conference every two years in different countries. Initially the organisation was dependant on private denotation and members who were willing to work for free. The International Headquarters of the New Education Fellowship was to be based in London under Beatrice Ensor with Clare Soper as the Secretary (International Secretary from 1929). The organisation quickly grew and local sections opened in countries around the world and commissioned research into examinations, teacher training, nursery schools and curriculum reform. In 1929 the Consultative Committee was created featuring the three directors and other prominent educators, and was renamed the Executive Board in 1931. In the early 1930s, a regular set of staff in London was established and a regular source of income had to be established. Ensor was able to secure a grant from Rockefeller Foundation and the Sections funded themselves, but there was very little to finance the International Headquarters in London. The publications department was set up in 1931, which later developed a book club in 1947. Some members subscribed £1 1s yearly to the headquarters and a Service Membership was established for organisations. A World Fellow Membership was established with the object of supporting the International Headquarters, but this was abandoned during World War II. In 1932 the International Headquarters moved to 29 Tavistock Square, where the NEF established weekly for members and overseas visitors know as 'World Fellow Teas'. Similar associated bureaus were also established in Paris, Geneva, and Vienna. From 1934, the NEF sent delegates on lecture tours of different countries. By 1939 the Fellowship had 21 Sections across the world. During World War II, the Fellowship lost contact with Section in countries hit by the war, some of which closed completely. The world conference were suspended, though some sections held national conferences in their own countries. As the International Headquarters in London was destroyed during a bombing raid, the officers of the Fellowship continued to work from their own homes. After 1945, the Fellowship renewed its activities and rebuilt connections with members in war ravaged countries. Members also played an active part in the formation of UNESCO, and the in 1947 Fellowship became a Non-Governmental Organisations with UNESCO consultative status, undertaking various projects for UNESCO, including Teaching of Human Rights act; attitudes of teachers; exchange of textbooks between the UK and Sri Lanka, and communications between adults and adolescents. In the 1950s and 1960s some of the Sections were disbanded or no longer paid subscriptions to the international headquarters. The financial situation became dire when UNESCO no long paid subvention grants to the Fellowship. A Trust Fund was set up in 1963 to help support the International Headquarters of the Fellowship. The future of the Fellowship was discussed and if it could continue to function as an international organisation or should be closed in 1967. At the 1966 annual meeting it was decided that the organisation should be renamed 'World Education Fellowship' as the former name did not represent the international aspect of the organisation. GB/366/377 WEF collection Corporate Deposited/Corporate/WEF 07/11/2000 Hjralmp 11/05/2009 Mkklibyz World Education Fellowship; 1921- World Education Fellowship New Education Fellowship, 1921-1966 GB/366/674 GB/366/856 GB/366/642 GB/366/873 GB/366/634 GB774 GB/366/859 GB/366/682 GB/366/829 GB/366/262 GB/366/773 GB/366/935 GB/366/354 GB/366/783 GB/366/573 GB/366/753 GB/366/883 GB/366/872 GB/366/752 GB/366/621 GB/366/901 GB/366/903 GB/366/936 GB/366/905 GB/366/628 GB/366/780 GB/366/889 GB/366/631 GB/366/624 GB/366/653 GB/366/881 GB/366/652 GB/366/645 GB/366/881 GB/366/626 GB/366/623 GB/366/625 GB/366/114 GB/366/638 GB/366/843 GB/366/778 GB/366/770 GB/366/639 GB/366/643 GB/366/777 Educational Charity No. 314112. The papers of the Stirlingshire branch are held by the Stirling Council Archive Service. Partial 6bde393f-c3e4-426e-a795-ee1429cab11d