UMASS SPEAKER STRESSES NEED FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
Author: By Alexander Reid, Globe Staff
Date: Sunday, June 2, 1991
Page: 42
Section: METRO
Physicist Leon M. Lederman, a 1988 Nobel prize-winner, told graduates at
the University of Massachusetts at Boston yesterday that the United States
must educate more elementary and high school students in disciplines related
to science and technology to offset the country's decline in those areas.
Lederman said society has become more burdened by problems with the
environment, poverty and other social ills. As a result, he said, it is
important that American schools train young "pre-college" pupils to become
competent in science and technology.
"Science and technology dries up and atrophies without a stream of young
recruits," said Lederman in his speech to the 2,546 members of the school's
Class of 1991.
Lederman, who teaches at the University of Chicago and is president of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, noted that test scores
for US students in math, physics, biology and chemistry have been consistently
lower than the scores of students in other industrialized countries.
He said many US high school and elementary schools employ math and science
teachers who have no formal education in the subjects.
"We're in trouble," said Lederman, noting that recent studies have shown
that many students cannot define what a molecule is or do not know the earth
revolves around the sun.
Nevertheless, there is hope, he said. For instance, a consortium of
academics in Chicago have organized the Academy of Math and Science Teachers.
The aim, he said, is to expose every teacher in Chicago to a discipline
relating to math and science.
But, he lamented, the program will not get off the ground without adequate
-- and as-of-now uncertain -- federal funding.
The federal government allocates $60 billion a year for educational
programs, but, "it is clear we are getting less than what we spend," he said.
"There are too many agencies and too many bureaucrats. Very often, it is hard
to get new ideas through."
Lederman received an honorary doctor of science degree from the school.
Other honorary degree recipients included Arthur S. Fleming, doctor of
laws; Maxine Hong Kingston, doctor of humane letters; Sissela Bok, doctor
of humane letters; Wayne A. Budd, doctor of laws; Abba Eban, doctor of laws;
and Jaime Escalante, doctor of science degree.
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