Monday, May 5. 1958
University Daily Kansan
Page 3
'How Can I Use This Stuff?'
By JIM CABLE
(Of The Daily Kansan Staff)
(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of three stories on high school preparation for college in the sciences, foreign languages and English.) High school science training, which leaves much to be desired, can be improved.
Dr. Herbert A. Smith, professor of education, who spoke on this subject to a group of Nebraska scientists recently, said the problem of improving science education can be applied not only to high schools but to elementary schools and colleges as well.
The improvement of secondary and elementary school training can come after the college training of teachers is bettered. Prof. Smith said in a Daily Kansan interview.
"There is a real problem here in that many of the courses are taught from a point of view far removed from that which supposes that the individual will go into teaching," he said.
"College physics courses, for example, are usually rather distinctly made up for future
Sales Tax Into Effect June 1
TOPEKA —(UP) - A $2 purchase will cost $2.05 in Kansas June 1.
That's the date a $21_{2}$ per cent sales tax goes into effect. The present 2 per cent levy makes the same purchase cost $2.04.
State revenue director John Kirchner said he has not worked out the brackets where the tax will be split as yet, but his final decision, when announced, becomes the law of the state.
Kirchner said he will meet with consumer and retail groups Friday, and announce the new regulations to guide Kansas cashiers as soon as possible.
Sales Tax Increase from 2 to $2_{1/2}$ per cent—$13.4 million
State Income tax increase of $ \frac{1}{2} $ per cent in all brackets of personal and $ \frac{1}{2} $ per cent higher on corporation- S6.3 million.
Higher inheritance taxes by lowering the exemptions given to so-called "distant relatives" in estate cases—$500,000.
Grand total—aoout $20 million.
Estimated state deficit—about $22 million.
In addition, the Legislature, which went home Saturday, changed the intangible tax laws. This is collected and used at the county level—estimated to bring in $2 to $4 million more a year.
Liquor enforcement tax to $21\frac{1}{2}$ per cent to conform with sales tax. Raised about $65,000 by placing the state liquor tax on liquor shipments destined for Kansas military reservations.
Another Shaw Play Scheduled
Hell is an eternal cocktail party,
"the home of the unreal," according to George B. Shaw in his play
"Don Juan in Hell," which opens today and runs through May 10 in the Experimental Theatre.
The play was originally the third act of Shaw's 4-act play "Man and Superman," and takes place in a dream of the story's hero, John Tanner.
The Experimental Theatre seats only 80 people in swivel chairs and is designed to bring a better relationship between actors and audience, said Gordon Beck, instructor in speech.
Such small seating capacity has made it necessary to give two 4:15 p.m. matinees on Wednesday and Thursday in addition to the regular 8 p.m. performances.
Student ID cards will admit at half price when exchanged at the union ticket office.
engineers. They are perhaps satisfactory for secondary teachers, but the typical elementary teacher throws up her hands in dismay and says, 'How can I use this stuff?'
Try Kansan Want Ads, Get Results
"Another important point in the proner training of science teachers is selective admission to weed out the individuals who should never enter a classroom, he stated.
Weed Out The Bad
"It is time that we have some selection process for people who desire to became teachers," Prof. Smith said. "Some of them should fall on academic grounds and some of them should fail for emotional and psychological reasons."
A well qualified science teacher has training in three areas," Prof. Smith said, a broad liberal education, reasonable grounding in the subject field to be taught, and sound professional education training.
"There is a voluminous body of evidence which demonstrates conclusively that the average science
"A great number of these persons who teach science have never been certified by an educational institution to be teachers of science.
teacher is not as well qualified as he or she should be, he said.
"In many cases they are persons who have, in sheer desperation, been drafted by the administrators.
"I do not want to make a categorical statement to the effect that all science instruction has been bad." Prof Smith said. "It has been bad in average terms, but there are many notable exceptions."
Why Teaching Is Inadequate
Why Teaching Is Inadequate Prof. Smith said many factors go together to produce the situation of unsatisfactory science education.
"Science instruction has been put behind the eight-ball," he stated. "World War II took most of the men from the science classrooms and they didn't return. Since about 75 per cent of the science teachers in this country were men, this had rather disastrous effects.
"We have lost many talented science teachers to industry and to institutions of higher education," he added. In Kansas, the average professional life of a science teacher is just over eight years."
Other important factors discouraging good science instruction are salary, local de-emphasis of science, and the general cultural stereotype of the teacher, he said.
Constructive Criticism Needed One way to improve the situation is through constructive criticism of its faults, Prof. Smith stated.
"When you do criticize the public schools, it should be with knowledge of the facts and the criticism should be given constructively.
"The citing of bizarre and extreme cases which are then used to launch a general attack on the public schools and education serves no useful purpose unless one is aiming at the destruction of the public school system, he said.
"The few intolerable exceptions are used by some to form the basis of attack on the system as a whole." Prof. Smith said. "Such criticism can hardly reflect credit on the scientific integrity of the critic."
Disarmament Talk By Polish Diplomat
"The Disarmament Problem, a Polish View" will be the subject of a lecture Thursday by Edward Kmicek, first secretary of the Polish Embassy. He will speak in Bailey Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Mr. Kmiecik, a member of the diplomatic service since January 1957, was educated in law and political science at the University of Berlin. He has acted as foreign correspondent for Polish newspapers in Germany and France between 1936 and 1939.
He was a captain in the Polish army in France and Great Britain. He has been editor of various Polish newspapers and the Polish Radio.
Zebus have never been imported into the United States in any great quantities.
Nothing satisfies like the BIG CLEAN TASTE OF TOP-TOBACCO
REGULAR
KING