EDUCATION

Teachers Lack Subject Know ledge Volwiler says teachers don't miss out on training

in how to teach; it's in what they are teaching

TNADEQUATE SUPPORT and training for -*· our high school science teachers are two reasons why the nation doesn't have enough scientists to meet the needs of industry and national defense, said Ernest Ά. Volwiler, president of Abbot t labs, dur ing an address i n which h e accepted t h e Industrial Research In­st i tute Medal for 1955. W e n o w face a shortage o f scientists which will p lague us at least until 1962 n o matter h o w successful we are in enlisting the interest of capable young m e n in a scientific career, according to Volwiler, w h o is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of t h e ACS.

Ernest Volwiler, recipient of I R I Award

Volwiler sa id the low bi r th rate of the depression years and the policies of Selective Service markedly decreased the supply of new graduates i n science and engineering. Another factor, he said, has been the decreasing number of college graduates who are t ra ined to teach high school science a n d mathe­matics.

O u r high school teachers of science are inadequate in numbers, training, pay, and public support, and our edu­cational system must take a pa.rt of the responsibility, according to Volwiler. Many of ΛΟΙΙΓ high school teachers have had considerable training in how to teach but little training in what they are teaching, h e continued.

Volwiler also h i t at delays in the U. S. Patent Office declaring that the processing of applications has fallen so far behind t ha t there is danger of chok­ing off important industrial develop­ments.

Certainly, h e said, capital will be more reluctant to flow into channels

which are besot by cloudy patent situa­tions. W e need more help in the Pat­ent Office and particularly more labor-saving devices to s p e e d up the issuance of pa ten ts , Volwiler cont inued.

T h e medal was presented to Volwiler by Allen Abrarns, immediate past presi­dent of I R I a n d vice pres ident of Mara­thon Corp. H . L. Cox, vice president of Corn Products Refining, introduced the metallist. Presiding at the award dinner was Howard G . Vesper, presi­dent of the institute and president of California Research.

T h e I R I medal h a s been awarded annually since 1945 t o honor outstand­ing accomplishments in leadership or in management of industrial research, which contributes broadly to the devel­opment of industry o r the public wel­fare.

Grant t o State Associations Of Private Col leges

Standard Oil Foundat ion is giving its third annual unrestr icted gramt of $150,000 to the s ta te associations of private colleges in 14 midwestern states. Rober t E. Wilson, foundation chairman, praised t h e work of some 145 colleges involved and stressed how-well the associations have saved the time of college presidents b y avoiding the necessity of multiple solicitation and of corporate executives by ^elimi­nating t h e problem of trying to evalu­ate and select individual institutions.

Many other companies are coming to appreciate t h e serious needs of o u r col­leges and the many advantages o f this method of contributing, he said. The state channels in t h e 14-state area (Colo., 111., Iowa, Kan., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mont., Neb., NT. D., S. D., Wis., and Wyo.) indicate corporate contribu­tions through these channels have grown from $365,000 in 1952, to $865,000 in 1953, a n d $1.36 million in 1954, he cont inued .

While this still represents only a small par t of the needs and budgets of the 145 colleges, to many i t has meant t h e difference between a deficit and a balanced budget . In many others i t has made possible a modest step toward bringing faculty salaries closer t o those of tax-supported insti­tutions.

"Wilson applauded the efforts o f the college presidents, working inside the state associations, in interpreting for

business executives the needs and re ­sources of independent educa_tion. H e added: "The most important role of the state associations i s being made evident. A good many corporations have developed direct relationships with particular schools b&cause of nearby locations, cooperative research programs, and mutual interests in a given curriculum of study. But hun­dreds of other corporations find i t sim­pler and better to aid all accredi ted private colleges in certain areas than to try t o pick out a few institutions."

The Standard Oil Foundation also voted a grant of $5000 t o a new agency, the Commission on Colleges and Industry of the Associations of American Colleges. It was set up re­cently to coordinate t h e state associa­tions' efforts and exchange indforrnation between them. The new agency is headed by Frank Sparks, president of Wabash College and pioneer in estab­lishing state associations ito solicit funds from industry. I t is to be fi­nanced initially by eight or 10 com­panies and foundations.

Facts, Figures on Primary, Secondary Teachers

There are new facts and iiguxes on supply and demand for prômary and secondary teachers, according to a joint report of the Engineering a n d Scientific Manpower Commissions. Ray Maul and his colleagu.es in the ΝΕΑ Research Division have brought the statistics up to date in their Report of the Eighth Annual National Teacher Supply and Demand Study for 1Q55.

T h e number of students in the entire 48 states completing teaching cer­tificate requirements th i s year in com­parison with 1954 are:

Subject Mathematics General Science Biology Chemistry Physics

1955 2250 1690 1371

602 249

1954 2 2 2 3 1604 1343

4 8 1 213

T h e 1955 figures represent an in­crease of 5% over 1954, with chemistry scoring 2 5 % . Unfortunately, says Ray Maul these are statistics—no»t teachers standing up in front of cla-sses. Ex­perience has shown t h a t only 4 5 % of the men and 6 5 % of t h e ramen who qualify for high school teaclhing actu­ally accept teaching positions- For mathematics the percentage for men and women combined is 5Q; general science, 52; physics, 51.5- biology, 45.4; chemistry, 36.1. When these percentages are used t o discount the figures tabulated above, the la t ter cease to b e impressive, according t:o Maul .

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