Smyrna times., 1960-01-28

being a joint affair involving the
school, the student, and the par
ent), but they also frequently
have certain choices within that
curriculum. For example, a stu
dent choosing the academic cur
riculum may specialize in sci
ences-taking biology, chemis-
try, and physics; or he may
specialize in languages-taking
only one of the sciences and one
or two foreign languages.
! In the Soviet school all stud
ents take one track-one curri-
culum. This curriculum could
be compared with the academic
curriculum in America. In grade
six (Which is equivalent of grade
seven in USA) the student takes
two hours of algebra, two hours
of geometry, and several hours
of arithmetic per week. In ad-
dition, he begins now to study
two hours of physics per week.
In grade eight he will study two
hours of chemistry. AS a re-
suit all Soviet students get
heavy doses of algebra, geome-
try, chemistry, foreign language,
and biology, where in the Unit.
ed States only those students
taking the academic course are
likely to get all of these SUBJ
jects.
! In the Soviet Union physics
begins in grade six with two
hours per week; in grade seven,
three hours per week; grade
eight, three hours per week;
grade nine, four hours per week
and grade ten, four hours pei
week. AS a result the student
taking physics (and all students
must take it) have had "six-
teen" hours of this subject by
the end of their ten-year school
ing. In the United States the
typical high school student has
not had any physics and the
academic student has had five
hours of physics. In the United
States the academic student will
have had approximately ter
hours algebra before graduating
from high school, and today ir
some schools fifteen hours (bas
ed on five hours per week fol-
two or three years.. The So.
Wet boy or girl, on the other
hand, will have had twelve
hours of algebra by the end oi
his ten-year schooling. In the
case of geometry the academic
student in the United States
will have had five hours if he
takes only plane geometry, OF
about twelve to thirteen hours
if he takes plane geometry anc
trigonometry. The Soviet boy OF
girl will have had twelve hours
including plane geometry anc
solid geometry.
The academic boy or girl lr
the United States who elects tc
take trigonometry will have hac
two to three hours of this sub
iect at the end of his senior
year. The Soviet boy or CIR
will have had four hours of this
subject by the time he gradu'
ates from the ten-year school
The academic boy or girl in the
United States will have had ap'
proximately five hours of chem
istry by the time he graduates
while the Soviet student will
have had ten hours of chemistry
by the time he graduates.
Generally in the United States
astronomy is not taught as q
separate subject but as part oi
the physics or general science
curriculum. In the Soviet Tn
ion astronomy is taught as
separate subject in the senior
year for one hour per week fol-
one year. In the Soviet Unior
biology begins in grade foul
with two hours per week, anc
a total of twelve hours per yeal
are counted compared to the
five generally offered in the
United States.
Anyone reading the foregoing
account at once notices thai
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