The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-12-16


Comparatively in the period 1926
to 1853 the United States had over
twice as many higher education
graduates as the U.S.S.R., but still
the U.S.S.R. graduated 100000
more engineers. Currently in the
United States we are graduating
around $4,000 engineers a year, "A
figure that is leveling off at pres
emit. In Russia last year $1,000 engi-
neers were graduated with a pre-
dicted raise to 10000 next year and
to greater numbers in future years.
Donald A. Quarles, Assistant Sec
rotary of Defense for Research and
Development, at the 18th Annual Sci
ence Talent dinner in Washington,
D. c., said. "Like it or not, we are
in race for chronological supremacy
with the Communist world and our
long term security may well depend
on the outcome of this race" That
this sort of situation has been allowed
to arise is in itself serious enough.
but that it might be allowed to con-
tinue is unthinkable. Perhaps brief
look at the Russian educational sys-
tenn will help us to see what it Is
that we are lacking. Admittedly in
democracy we cannot use the force
full measures that are used by totali-
tartan power, but at the same time
there seems to be very little reason
why we might not learn from them.
The Russian child starts school at
seven years and after ten years of
constant screening is graduated from
high school at IT. AS each child APP
proaches the Limit of his ability to
learn and progress efficiently, he is
taken out of school and placed in
work of some sort-the peasant chill
dren go back to the farm, the others
go into unskilled labor.
Those who graduate from high
school have either military service
or further education to look forward
to. The superior student is eligible
for advanced education, and at the
same time becomes automatically ex-
empt from military service by doing
so.
The college course in most fields
is of five and one-half years dura-
ton, leading to what is nearly the
equivalent of masters degree in
an American school. In the technical
courses included in this training is 25
weeks actual work in the field or
in a plant. Although once the student
is enrolled in a course, he has no
choice but to follow it through, but
there is a compensatory system of
that makes it to his advan-
tage to follow up what he is doing to
the best of his ability, plus of course,
the constant threat of military serv-
zee hanging over his head if he should
either fail or drop out of school. Re-
wards come to the university student
N the matter of bonuses for good
work, that will ultimately, by the
lime he has nearly completed his
course, almost pay all expenses for his
college work. This system is much like
/ scholarship in the United States.
rhe student with real ability is able
20 look forward to a decreasing load
If financial difficulty as he works
lis way forward in school, and many
more students are willing to begin
ong courses of training.
A further bonus that comes with
he Russian system is the 25 weeks
# actual work in the field. By the
ime the student is graduated he has
job and moves to it directly out of
us school work. There is none of the
that faces the American
ollege graduate of today when he
ompletes school and has to look for
york.
Private industry is doing this to
ONE extent in the United States, but
ot to the extent necessary to solve
he current problem. The U.S.S.R.
5 now graduating from colleges and
chools more than twice as many
cientists as the United States gradu-
ties, of comparable or even superior
cholastic training, and their future
umbers are increasing more rapidly
han ours.
A L, L ~