Mr. BLOUGH. Not as far as I know. I have been teaching for 25 years. I have gone to school a long time. I find no substitute for a first-class teacher. I believe all of us will agree that nothing takes the place of an excellent teacher. We have some suggestions about improving facilities and equipment and providing adequate supplies. The CHAIRMAN. Doctor, excuse me 1 minute. Much to my regret, I am going to have to appear before the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce to make a brief statement there. I will turn the meeting over to Senator Murray at this time. I want to thank you for your very excellent statement and assure you that I shall read carefully and thoughtfully and, I know, with much benefit, the remaining part of your statement.

Mr. BLOUGH. Thank you, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. I appreciate your being here, too, Mr. Carleton. Senator MURRAY (presiding pro tempore). You may proceed.

NEED FOR LABORATORY AND DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT

Mr. BLOUGH. The proper, resourceful teaching of science is expensive, compared to other fields of education. But efforts to teach science without adequate laboratory and demonstration equipment deprive students of experiences with the very heart and soul of the scientific endeavor.

In other words, to teach science without proper equipment is practically useless.

A program of Federal aid for this purpose could be very helpful. Provision of only $500 per high school on the average, would total only about $12.5 million of expenditures for bringing up the standards or beginning to bring up to standard the equipment needs.

NEED FOR IMPROVED SUPERVISION

There is great need for improved supervision and coordination of the science program in grades 1 to 12. There is great need for large numbers of specially trained consultants and supervisors for science in the elementary schools. We would like to press for appointments in State departments of education where leadership for the whole State could come, persons who are qualified to act as supervisors and consultants for science in the elementary and secondary schools. Only a small faction of the local school systems and not more than half a dozen State departments of education have anyone specifically designated as a supervisor, coordinator, or consultant for science in secondary schools.

This area would seem to be another appropriate avenue for Federal aid to schools. Funds could be released through the United States Office of Education to the State departments of education and to colleges and universities. An average of $250,000 per State would cost the United States Government only about $12.5 million.

We will go on to the opportunities for both secondary- and elementary-science teachers to upgrade their knowledge of subject matter and techniques of teaching, which are likewise important. Teachers are enthusiastic and eager for such opportunities, but they need financial aid if they must forego summer earning opportunities for this purpose. Recent years have witnessed improved cooperation by de

partments of education and science in the colleges and universities in designing realistic and helpful programs of instruction.

INCOME-TAX DEDUCTIONS

The Federal Government can stimulate and assist in this area by two principal kinds of action: First, by passing legislation to allow income tax deductions for funds spent by teachers to take in-service and summer courses for self-improvement. We cite the King-Jenkins bill as an example. Second, by continuing and expanding the summer institutes program now provided through grants by the National Science Foundation. The institute program should be enlarged to include elementary-school principals, supervisors, and classroom teachers. Business-industry also should continue to make grants for special summer programs for science teachers and supervisors.

Those of us who have seen young people who have gone to the summer institutes and came back into their classes, and I will include the year institutes, have seen a true influence which those people have on their colleagues and the influence which they have in the improved teaching which they do.

SUMMER COURSES FOR ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL STAFFS

Up until now, the National Science Foundation institutes have been almost entirely for secondary schoolteachers. We would like to stress the importance of trying to have some of these that will reach the elementary schoolteachers, the principals and supervisors who are responsible for the elementary school program.

In many instances, the supervisors who work with elementary schoolteachers have also very little opportunity to work in the field of science. We strongly urge that some kind of consideration be given to this kind of institute.

Senator MURRAY. I would like to call your attention to the fact that Senate bill 3187, which is known as the Hill bill, provides for summer extension courses for teachers. Do you favor these programs in addition to those conducted by the National Science Foundation?

UPGRADING OF TEACHING ABILITY

Mr. BLOUGH. I favor anything that will upgrade and provide opportunity for teachers so as to improve their teaching ability on science subject-matter. All of it is now needed. There is very little done when we figure the great number of teachers who do not return for summer work.

Senator MURRAY. I think that is important.

Mr. BLOUGH. Tradition and legislation in our country place responsibility for educational programs on the State and local school systems. Increasingly, however, teachers and schoolmen are asking for advice and help of several kinds as they seek to revise course content and to redesign the science curriculum in line with modern development. Federal funds for this purpose might be provided for contract research through the United State Office of Education.

EXPANDED SCIENCE STAFF IN OFFICE OF EDUCATION

We would also like to point out the importance of expanding the science staff of the United States Office of Education. The present staff of one specialist for engineering education, one for college-level physical science, one for high-school science, and less than one-quarter of a specialist for elementary school science in an anemic, wholly, inadequate gesture by the Federal Government to meet its responsi bilities in the present crisis.

I am well acquainted with this, having spent 8 years in the Office of Education. I know the demands on this office for service to various State departments of education, to city schools, to county schools, who say, "We would like to move ahead, but we are without leadership in what kind of curriculum practice goes on. What are they doing in other places? What are the States doing with this?"

SCHOLARSHIPS VALUABLE AS STIMULATION

In conclusion, we would also like to point out the need for scholarships for high-school graduates and college students. A program of scholarship aid would affect the quality of instruction only indirectly, but should stimulate, motivate, and assist a much higher proportion of our able high-school graduates who enter college and go on to the completion of degree programs.

In recent years, according to the research division of the National Education Association, only about 1 in 4 high-school graduates enters college and stays on to complete the bachelor's degree. Only about 1 in 5 or 6 holder's of the bachelor's degree, completes a master's degree program. Only about 1 in 7 or 8 master's degree graduates completes a doctorate.

We would complete our presentation by going back to point out that there are several things that are good in the science program and in science teaching. We would point out that there are lacks which need immediate attention in order to continue to improve the science teaching program.

We would point out the importance of making greater stress on opportunities for teachers to improve themselves. I would point out the importance of a better salary schedule for science teachers and other teachers across the board. There should be a careful look at the opportunities that are now presented in the teaching field in science.

Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you.

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS TO PROVIDE COLLEGE TEACHERS

Senator MURRAY. Your association is also concerned with college science teachers. Do you favor graduate fellowships to help provide more college teachers?

Mr. BLOUGH. We feel that is very important. With the enrollment increases in college, this is going to be a very pressing need. Would you like to add to that, Mr. Carleton?

Mr. CARLETON. I think you expressed that very well.

Incidentally, the experience following World War II when the GI's returned was that the enrollment increased greatly. We witnessed what we may see repeated soon. That is a terrific raid on the high schools where once more our able teachers will be the first to be withdrawn from the secondary level to meet the drastic needs at the college level. It is almost too late. We should have done this 2 years ago. It would be real smart to start now to prepare the college teachers we will need 3, 5 and 10 years hence.

Senator MURRAY. Thank you.

Dr. Blough, you referred to the fixed salary scale and the need for improved salary schedules. Salary schedules for teachers are generally fixed by State law, by county boards of education. What can the Federal Government do in this situation? How can the Federal Government raise these salary schedules?

FEDERAL STIMULUS TO BETTER TEACHERS' SALARIES

Mr. BLOUGH. Generally when the money is allocated and the budget is made, it is made on the basis of how much money they have to allocate to various demands of State and local governments. If they have only so much, then they will allocate only so much for their teachers. If there is increased money, they would allocate, we would assume, more for this.

Would you like to add to that?

Mr. CARLETON. I might state that certainly implies that a program of Federal support channeled to the States for a possible redistribution to the local communities, the school boards within the States, would be a means by which Federal money could be provided without strings attached, and thereby become available to local boards of education to bolster their salary schedules. I do not believe the Federal Government can or should take a direct stand or attempt to provide direct influence on the salary schedules in the several thousand local school systems all over this country.

COST OF SCIENCE EQUIPMENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Senator MURRAY. What kind of science equipment can be used in elementary schools? How much would it cost to equip the average grade school?

Mr. BLOUGH. It is hard to tell what is the average grade school, and to give a figure on that. Let us take a school in this locality. Let us say they have 25 teachers. I am just picking that number out. I would say, and not counting the visual aids, not buying the motion pictures and so forth, but just for equipment, a rough figure per year with a school of 25 teachers would probably be $300. This would be after they have made some start. This would be to keep their equipment up. It is not important to have complicated apparatus at the elementary level. We do not want the high-school equipment, because there is not very much mathematical computation at the elementary school. It does not have to be exact, but it has to be clear. Consequently the type of equipment in the elementary school is in general a simple kind of equipment.

SCIENCE KITS

There are, for example, on the market science kits that cost about $35 or $50. If each room or each 2 or 3 rooms had that type of equipment to share, they could do very well. We do not advocate expensive equipment.

It is hardly possible for a busy teacher to do very much about science, if every time she wants to heat something in a test tube, she has to go somewhere and get all three of the things that she needs for the project. Senator MURRAY. Thank you.

Are there any other statements that you wish to make?

Mr. BLOUGH. I believe not.

I would like to say again that we appreciate the opportunity to come before you.

Senator MURRAY. On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for your very excellent statement. I think it will be very helpful to us in our studies on this subject.

I thank you, Mr. Carleton, for your contribution also.

We are happy to have with us Dr. Clark A. Dunn, vice president of National Society of Professional Engineers and director, engineer experiment station, Oklahoma State University at Stillwater, Okla., accompanied by Mr. Paul H. Robbins, executive director of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

You may proceed. We welcome you here this morning and we are sure you will make a very fine contribution to the studies we are carrying out.

STATEMENT OF DR. CLARK A. DUNN, VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, STILLWATER, OKLA.; ACCOMPANIED BY PAUL H. ROBBINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

Mr. DUNN. We welcome this opportunity of appearing here.

My name is Clark A. Dunn. I am a vice president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, a nonprofit, membership organization composed of professional engineers in virtually every specialized branch of engineering practice and type of employment. All of the society's 44,000 members are registered under applicable State engineering registration laws, and are affiliated through 46 State societies and approximately 365 local community chapters.

At the present time I am director of the office of engineering research and a professor of civil engineering in the College of Engineering of Oklahoma State University. My education record includes a bachelor of science in civil engineering, received from the University of Wisconsin; civil engineer and master of science in civil engineering degrees from Oklahoma A. and M. College-now Oklahoma State University—and a doctor of philosophy in civil engineering from Cornell University. For several years I was associated with the South Dakota Highway Commission and the Arkansas Highway Depart

ment.