Evening star., 1950-10-08
Deferment Plan Based.
On National Test Nav
Be Applied Next June
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1mquents" who failed to report
for pre-induction examinations.
The new student deferment
proposal would put students in a
special deferment classification If
they; Cd score highly enough on
the aptitude test and (2) main
tain specific superior academic
records" throughout their college
courses. 1t would treat all stu
dents, alike. instead of designat-
ing certain essential" courses for
special attention.
This is based on the belief that
the most valuable students are
those who demonstrate high
capacity" for learning. Advocates
of the plan point out that many
students enrolled in scientific and
professional courses never finish.
and that others do not become
proficient enough to be valuable.
Reservations which Gen. Her
shey said he has about some de-
tails of the proposal, it was
learned, are substantially the same
as those raised by some of the
educators who yesterday endorsed
the plan "in principle"
The objections are aimed at
the standards recommended for
superior academic records" In
order to retain deferment. under
the proposal, second-year students
must have been scholastically in
the upper half of their freshman
class, thlrd-year men in the upper
third OF their sophomore class and
four-year men in the upper fourth
OF their Junior class.
Uncertain on Support.
Gen. Hershey said he was "un-
certain" that he was ready to go
along with those standards.
objection from the educators.
of1clals said, arose because of.
.dlfferences in entrance REQUIRE
mentS at various schools, as well
as dlfferences in education op-
portunity throughout the country.
A special committee of the edu-
Gators conference urged considera-
ton OF alternative standards, in
claoing "a single cutoff period
beyond which the students would
be permitted to complete" train
ing.
,One scientist who helped develop
the plan. however, pointed out
that deferment would be granted
only to a highly selected group of
sophomore students at the start.
Ihus, he said, this group almost
certainly would remain in the
upper third of their sophomore
class and the upper fourth of their
Junior class, since they would be
competing with much less selec-
tive group among the rest of the
student body"
AS a whole. the conference
strongly endorsed the proposal to
oefer on the basis of Individual
capacity and aptitude In ad-
dition, however, it stressed the
deferred students have an "ob-
legation to serve in the armed
forces or in other work of national
Importance on the completion of
their education" gsl
Must Get Funds.
Gen. Hershey, meanwhile, will
have to go to Congress for money
to carry out the aptitude. tests,
which, possibly will be- given to
more than l million men. The
test is being developed by a spe-
clal subcommittee of the advisory
groups which proposed the plan.
Details Of who will give it and
who will take it have not been
developed.
The proposal urged that a score
equivalent to score of 12O on
the Army General Classification
Test be used as the minimum for
deferment. The scientists estimate
only 25 per cent Of the Nations
high school graduates could make
that score. but that 60 per cent