# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S524
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report of Board for Higher Education | 525 .

at time approximately seventy-five per cent of the ‘students
Louis receive their science instruction largely according _.
ormer traditional organization.

situation existing in science instruction may then be sum-
das follows: ee

The curriculumi organization conforms closely to the synodical
curriculum at only two of Synod’s institutions, Concordia, Mo.,
and Bronxville, N. Y. These two institutions provide not more
than 20 per cent of Synod’s future clergy.

The absence of instruction in chemistry imposes handicaps which
will materially reduce the effectiveness of instruction on the
college level because of a lack of necessary background, and
chemistry is an important science in its’ own right.

The ‘restriction of the physical science survey to one-half year
at so many of the institutions is a thoroughly undesirable prac-
tice. Any attempt to survey the field in.so short a course is
bound to be highly superficial and therefore of limited value.
“If this half-year course is restricted to astronomy, then a serious
‘gap in the knowledge of other fields remains.

4. Limitation of the instruction to zoology over-extends the work
in one field at the expense of general knowledge in others.

» The continuance of individual laboratory work in connection
with the so-called survey course at a number of the. institutions
indicates that the traditional specialist organization is still
“maintained,

"Briefly, instruction in the field of science does not in general follow
stablished synodical pattern and must be judged to be far more
néffective than is desirable.

Recommendations Loe

It is recommended that each of the institutions proceed to’in-—
troduce survey courses on the college level consisting of one
entire year of physical science (exclusive of mathematics) and »
_one entire year of biological science, in accordance with the
: ideals and aims of the 1937 curriculum. These survey courses
:.. should be given at eath of our junior colleges irrespective of
* the teaching’ of biology in. the high school division.

2. .It is recommended that general science be taught in the high
; school in place of biology unless the State authorities definitely
insist on biology.

a A course in chemistry. with laboratory work should be given. in ‘
the high school division at each of Synod’s preparatory colleges.
_ Synod .should provide the necessary equipment. Wherever :