Field notes, v1753

Stebbins, Robert C. (Robert Cyril), 1915-2013; Crippen, Robert G.; La Pointe, Joseph
1963
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley
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Source Material:
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org

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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from CLIR https://archive.org/details/fieldnotesv175300steb
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STEBBINS, R.C. January 7 - February 27, 1963 1. Asian trip Journal and Species Accounts
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cat page #1924 1. Stebbins, R.C. January 7, - February 27, 1963 Asian Trip Journal and Species Accounts
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Jan. 7 San Francisco to Washington 9:30am. On way to south & southeast Asia with Dr. Francis Dart to introduce geologic lab science in secondary schools. Project sponsored by Natl Acad. Sci. TWA flight 64 - departure time 9:15am. Clear bright morning. Fog bank in delta area. Flight NE to Sacramento. 9:32am. Over Sierra foothills. Sierra cloudless! Looks like fog extends S into San Joaquin Valley. 9:45am. Over Lake Tahoe. Surprising light snow fall at east of Sierra. Lakes pale, streams glistening in many places. Could see Mount Shasta - solid snow cover. Flying at 33,000 ft. Smooth so far. 9:50am. Over great Basin. It's going to take more than water to make this a productive agricultural area. Frozen water everywhere. The growing season is short. Another deterrent - alkali impregnated soil in the flat areas most suitable for farming. 10:30am. Crossed south end Salt Lake. Light ground fog but only few wisps of clouds. 10:52am. Cold snow-dusted wind swept eroded terrace below. Nearing eastern slope of Rockies. Clear. Wisps of clouds. Only 8 people 1st class (28 seats). Can
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Stebbins, R. 1963 2 Asain Trip San Francisco to Washington Jan. 7 max about freely. Strip farming pattern at E edge of Rockies - also strip cutting of timber Haystacks in center of large fields; one stack to field. Extensive snow mantle. Strip fresh cutting a lower area. 11:05 a.m. Leaving eastern escarpment of Rockies. Strip forming pattern building up in amount - plots in lower, less eroded areas. We have learned a lesson from the Dust Bowl of the 1940's. Strips are N-S oriented; prevailing winds then must be E-W. Less snow now. Thin patches here & there. Some strips EW & diagonal. 12:15 p.m. Began solid cloud cover - like a great expanse of snow. Rough spots here & there - updrafts? 12:40 p.m. Turned somewhat SE. Still cloudy below. Not a hole anywhere. 1:25 pm. Began letting down. Solid cloud cover. 1:35 pm. Announced descent to Dulles AirPrt. - temp thus 38°F 1:55 p.m. (4:53 p.m. eastern time) - landed Dulles Airport. Plenty of snow. Country- side of white fields & broad leaf forest. Forest leafless & from high altitude looked like coarse hair. Plush bus (red carpet) took us from plane to terminal. Buo 12-15' high, trees 4' across, air conditioned. Drive up to stall at terminal. No exposure
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ascan Trip. Washington, D.C. Jan. 7 Solves space problem posed by jets; avoids risk of old people slipping on icy surfaces. Met a Mr. Abe Kramer, Coun Attache, US Embassy, Singapore, on airport bus. Had spent 20 mo. in SE Asia. Returning for physical check up. Has leucemia - perhaps only 2-3 yrs. to live. Told me same I do's & don'ts in Asia. Said it would be well for us to contact Peace Corp people. Kramer says - be yourself- no show. Their attitude will be think there's is an ancient culture - why should they listen to West - yet they actually do envy advances I west. 8:00pm (EST) Brief visit with Dr. Trygten at his office for plans for tomorrow. We walked to his office from Roger Smith Hotel - about 1/2 mile. Air cold - ears & nose chilled but otherwise comfortable. Three inches of snow on lawns, etc. Streets clear. Stopped to look at White House, on Pennsylvania St. Street grid in central Washington consists of numbered streets one way & lettered streets another (at 90 angles) or diagonals usually named after a state. Washington Monument fully illuminated. Not hard to see why it results
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 4 Jan. 7 Washington, in bringing about science films. Appointments for tomorrow: 9:00 a.m. - Joe Boyce, Advisory Board on Education; (Bob Green arranged appt.) 11:00 a.m. Brig. Gen. Willard Webb, 601 Miller Bldg., 704-17th St., N.W.; 2:30 p.m. Mr. Kretzmann, Deputy Director, Office of International Affairs, Dept. of State (Appt. made by Mr. Murray Todd, OFS. Jan. 8 Brig. Gen. Willard Webb, Amer. Science Film Association told us a film festival to be held in India. Science films will be shown on following dates: Jan. 14 - New Delhi, Jan. 21 - Madras, Jan. 25 - Bombay, and Feb. 4, Calcutta. Commander Ed. Bird is administering program. Mike Fischer (USIS) of U.S. Embassy - Public Affairs division asked ASFA to set up festival. Topics to be covered - American scientists involved in films & film-making, Medical subject matter, Science Teaching, popular science such as pineapple production in Hawaii. Showings will run 90 min. Webb- as arranged selection. Over for Webb's address
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#4a Brig. Gen. Willard Webb 601 Mills Bldg. 704-17th St., N.W. Tel: 393 3818 or 3819.
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Feb 1963 Jan.8 Pakistan Commission on National Education (Formed 1958) S.M. Sharif (Chairman) A.F. Altaf Hussain M. Razuddin Siddiqi Mumtazuddin Ahmed M.K. Afridi B.A. Naqvi S.Hamid Shah. R.M. Euring A.F.M. Abdul Wag M.A. Rashid. p.17, item 14 of Report of above Commission: "The commission recognizes that the methods now employed in our colleges and universities are unsatisfactory in that they emphasise memorisation effects to the exclusion of other kinds of learning. These must be replaced by teaching methods which will excite the student's intellectual interest and generate in him a spirit of enquiry and the ability to apply his knowledge to the solution of his problems." Matriculation after 10 yrs. Commission feels then should have 2 yrs. Intermediate stage training before university. Students then 17-19 yrs. old & mature. Report of the Curriculum Committee for Secondary Education (Classes VI-XII) Taj Muhammad Khayal. Not studied by me.
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Stebriz, R. 1963 Asian Trip Washington Jan. 8 Webb would like our opinion of audience reaction, whether we think program helpful to cause of U.S. science, selection of subject matter - proper balance? He would also like suggestions on U.S. science films that might be considered by his office. He urged me to write the "Card Division," Library of Congress for carding my film, "Nature Key Door," if the film has not been reeled. I must ask the Sierra Club to send him the film and accompanying brochure for review. Webb suggested we contact Mrs. N.E. Brigham, wife of the Advisor on Science Education who is travelling with a Columbia Univ. party of advisors on education (under USAID program). She is an elementary school teacher (5th & 6th grade) involved in science programs for T.V. Webb said UNESCO evaluation availability data indicate access to films ran over 4000 last year & the grand total is something like 4500 (if I remember correctly). Bouloutin & Walter Auffenberg will be at the conference in New Delhi.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asciin Trip Washington Jan. 8 Visited Mr. Kretzmann in the State Dept. He is Deputy Director, Office of International Affairs, Dept. of State. He made suggestions on contacts along our way. CENTO countries have been holding a conference on the teaching of science. On behalf of the CENTO conference, Wm. W. Abbe & Kenneth Clem made recommendations to Pakistan on teaching of science. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Pakistan Council of Science and Industrial Research. Chairman of the National Science Foundation. Bombay - Nuclear Science Dept. At Consulate - Council General Melton C. Rewincke. At Science Center - Sidney Sober - involved in repatriating. New Delhi - Lane Timmons (no. 2 man). Deputy Chief of Mission. No. 1 man is ambassador Galbraith (J. Kenneth). Berry Zorthian also mentioned. Foreign aid man C. Tyler Work. Calcutta - Ralph Segman - Assistant in Information. Bangkok - Kenneth Young - Ambassador. Alfred Onhan, no. 2 man. Mention to him that Kretzmann sent us Kuala Lumpur - Charles Baldwin ambassador.
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Dedham, R. 1968 Asian Trip Washington. Jan. 8 Taiwan. Admiral Kirk. Ralph Bough - no. 2 man. Kretzman knew him well. A colonel in Kretzman's office (has been stationed in far east) pointed out that much U.S. educational equipment is gathering dust. Microscopes sit unused. Prestige factor in Asian education. One does what is necessary to get status. Little interest in science for its own sake. We were urged to keep our eyes open for Asians we think would benefit from U.S. experience and who would then return to their respective countries to further science education. While at Kretzman's office we had opportunity to hear of the experiences of Walter Dodge (researcher) and Howard Forcannon (educator), who had visited the CENTO countries under NSF sponsorship. Their mission had been to make recommendations on the agenda for a forthcoming summer conference (next June) on secondary school science. They spent about 1 week in each CENTO country -- Turkey, Iran, Pakistan. They picked the brains of the scientists and visited ministries of Education. Six persons were to be picked from each country to attend the conference -- a mathematician, chemist, physicist, biologist, the Minister of Education, and a Science Council member.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Washington Jan. 8 They did not actually visit any secondary schools. The agenda they proposed for the conference was as follows: To be considered - I. Matters of National Policy a. Science and economic development (these must be related) b. Discovery type science instead of rote memory. Speakers to come from Great Britain and U.S. II. Curriculum a. Course content - subject matter b. Training aids. Exhibits to be arranged. III. Teacher training a. Preservice b. Inservice Hodges and Foncannon to be followed in February by 4 U.S. scientists and a representative from each CENTO nation who will follow up preliminary plans. Dr. Wm. Morrel to evaluate program of summer institutes for college teachers in Pakistan. He is from the Asia Foundation. Art Campbell may study science
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Assian Trip Washington Jan. 8 curriculum in Pakistan. There have been published two major education ministry analyses and recommendations on secondary education by the Ministry of Education. Siddiqui and an educator are conducting big summer program this coming summer. 125+ Teachers of science will attend. S.M. Sharif, key man in the Ministry of Education in Pakistan roundly criticized recommendations of high level team, formed through stimulus from Tydeman Johnson. Impractical - m closed 9. Bangkok contact - Pradittha Cheowul Secretary General Sci. Soc. Thailand. Biol. Bldg., Chulalongkorn Univ. Phyatai Rd., Bangkok, Thailand. He welcomes us to meet high school science teachers. Met Joe Boyce, Advisory Board on Education, National Acad. Sci. Jan. 9 Spent about 1/2 hours with Dick Paulsen and Charles Whitmer once a Mr. Magee discussing our ESSP project.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Washington Jan. 9 Letter in my file this date covers their querie. It is clear we must pay scientists to work on project. They must feel committed to produce. It is also evident we must have a continuing director and separate advisory or policy committee and project. Left for National Airport about 12:30 p.m. Clearing weather, snow melting if somewhat. Saw flock of color waxwings, pintails and gulls on good partly covered with ice. Flew to New York on National Airlines Flight 206. Left at 1:30 p.m. Arrived at Idlewild at around 2:30 p.m. From Dart went into New York to get our visas & passports returning around 6:00 p.m. Dot and Dan Wilkoff came out and saw us if. We had dinner together in the Palace PanAm building. We left on Pan Am. Flight 2 at 8:15 p.m. for London. Jan. 10 Mostly a smooth flight at 33,000 ft. Full moon, snow-like cloud cover below. As we cross west coast of Ireland, a red dawn. Our plane is fully
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Stebbins, R. 1963 African Trip London - Frankfurt Jan. 10 loaded - probably 125 passengers. Venus (?) shining brightly in eastern sky. Arrived at London airport 7:45am. Air temp., according to captain, 28°. We could believe it! Much snow. After 50 minute stop, on to Frankfurt. Flight plan announced in English, French, German, and some near eastern language (?). Only animal life seen were flocks of geese over London airport; one group in straggling V-formation. 9:15am. Reached European mainland. Belgium in a deep freeze. From our altitude 22000', it looks like a great frozen ice flow - the patchwork of farm-like blocks of ice. The sun glinted on the frozen ground. There is almost nothing but cultivated lands near the coast. Only narrow hedges now separate the fields. A thin cloud cover with many openings far below. 9:25am. We now have a solid cloud cover below us, completely hiding the ground and the flight is a little rough. The sun is shining brightly 30° to right of our line of flight. 9:28am. Now there are rents in the clouds and the ground can be seen - dark patches while top frests with white snow covered
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip London to Frankfurt Jan. 10 Valley's 9:30 a.m. Percentage of forest lands about 25%. Much broken up. Implications for wildlife, particularly larger forms? 9:35 a.m. Countryside covered with heavy snow. Forests hoary. Another extensive cloud bank is looming. 9:40 a.m. Putting on brakes & starting down. Interesting shadows from high stronger of cloud or solid cloud can below. Time change Came down through overcast. Haze below but can see 1 mi (?) . (over) Landed on snow covered airport at 11:45 a.m., Munich Frankfurt time. Temp. 26° C. Required to carry hand luggage to terminal for customs check. Wandered around lobby looking at German cameras, paperbacks, jewelry, etc. Take off delayed by spilled fuel below plane which had to be covered with sawdust. It was interesting to hear German spoken again after about 5 years. Lost about 35 minutes. Took off at 12:20 p.m. Broke out into bright sun over beautiful white sea of clouds at 12:25 p.m., headed for Munich. Saw crow-like birds at airport.
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13a Forest trees by the Frankfurt airport recalled my previous visit to Germany in 1958. They stood in formal rows with bare trunks and small crown. Eventually the lower branches are systematically pruned for fire wood.
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Stevens R. 1963 Jan. 10 Frankfurt to Munich 12:00 noon. Came down through heavy overcast. Ceiling perhaps 500-1000 ft. but plane zeroed in on runway in good style. Trees at 4 mi. only dimly visible. Perhaps a foot of snow. Transient passengers requested to stay aboard since we had lost time. Temp. 23° 1:45 pm. Left Munich (30 min. off schedule). Ground visibility poor. Soon climbed above clouds to altitude of 29,000 ft. for crossing Alps. Some high peaks, like great icebergs, projected above the clouds. Still higher were streams of white cirrus. Sun bright. Bumpy over Alps. 2:00 pm. Solid sheet of white below. We have ascended above the uppermost cloud layer. 2:15 pm. Just crossed border of Austria and Yugoslavia at 33,000 ft. Captain tells us we will fly over Belgrade and thence along the Aegean Sea to Istanbul. Visibility there to be quite good with possibility, however, of rain showers. Temp. expected 48°. We continue with solid cloud blanket below. Can see nothing below. 3:10 pm. Aegean Sea. Cloud cover breaking up. Plan now shifts direction to NE. Time change 5:50 pm. Landed at Istanbul. Air temp. 40° or snow. No rain, sun about to set. Saw little of countryside - green fields & sheep.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 15 Istanbul to Beirut Jan. 10 Wandered about terminal building for 45 mins. Saw many beautiful wimple metal earrings & bracelets, fancy Turkish slippers, Meerschaum pipes. Turkish sales-girls behind the counters with dark eyes - dark straight hair. 6:30 p.m. Left for Beirut. We are an hour behind schedule. Red sunset and city lights, last fleeting impressions of a place I will probably not see again. Time change Arrived Beirut 8:00 p.m. but found their time around 7:00pm. We must have crossed back over time line. We began approach to field at 11,000 feet with landing gear down to steepen descent. Lights of Beirut beautiful - many of them on the flat and hill sides and randomly scattered - not in rows. Scattered clouds but no ground haze. Temp. 60°. Walked about terminal slope. 9:00pm. Left for Tehran. Will fly at 33,000' Time Change Arrived Tehran 11:35 p.m. by clock in terminal. Cold. Dr. Dart believes it to be high. Left for New Delhi about 40 minutes after stop. Declarations (printed) lay on desk widely distributed throughout terminal. Chief appeal of declarations - stamp out Satan illiteracy - 80% are illiterate. We will fly at 33,000'
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi, India Jan. 11 Arrived at New Delhi about 5:30 a.m. Went through customs with no problems and then rode to Ashoka Hotel with Mr. Hecht (sp.?), a U.S. citizen stationed here on government matters. A fast taxi cab-ride. They drive here on the left side of the road as in Britain. At Hotel, a grand structure many stories high and very pleas[illegible], we changed some money for rupees. One [illegible] bought us 94 rupees, then 1 rupee = 21 c. One naye pace = about 1/4 cent. Slept until 12:30 p.m., then had lunch to pleasant Indian music played by a band made up of 5 violinists, 1 pianist, 1 drummer, 2 sitar players, 1 cellist, and 1 bass viol. Two other players a their instruments were unidentified. A sitar looks like a giant mandolin with a bulb at the finger board end. Dart and I rode into town in small 'taxi' -- an open air, canvas top scooter-like car. The trip cost a little of 1 rupee. We wandered about the shops until about 7:30 p.m., after dark. We had been unable to make any appointments to see people about our mission until next week. Some impressions
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 17 New Delhi Jan. 11 People - great range in skin color - very dark to nearly white. Few people little taller than 2. All seem to be dark eyed. Great range in degree of affluence. Perhaps 10% seem well-dressed and evidently wealthy; possibly 15-20% are obviously poor - 5% extremely so - bare-legged, thin, clothes in rags. Small boys (especially) follow us about tenaciously trying to sell a shoe-shine or newspaper. Several little beggars cling to us for a trice. It took a coin from each of them to loose one of them. Saw a boy only 3½' ? tall, perhaps 8 years old smoking - a lively noisy little guy. A beggar with both hands missing followed us for a trice, gently prodding us with one arm stub, begging. Many poor people sit cross-legged on the ground with their wares spread out in front of them - trinkets, food, comic books, etc. One man was selling an ingenious device for making a pattern of white sand (?) on the ground. A cardboard cylinder with perforations was filled with the material and rolled over the ground. A beautiful design was left behind. At a corner toy shop looked at a fire-making set - flint, steel, & punk. After many
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Steblitz, R. Asian Trip 18 New Delhi Jan. 61 Tries, I finally got a light. The secret seemed to be to hit a sharp edge of flint and to place the inflammable material on the upper side of the stone. The spark would then fly upward into it. The shop keeper could do it very quickly and Dart said in Nepal they use flint + steel sets to light cigarettes. Several of the shop keepers were Tibetans, one of them a lady known to Dart. Their wares of worked iron, beads (jade, etc.), & wood were spread out on the ground and we sat on a stool to look. Saw turbaned individuals with heavy beards & long hair. Dart said they were sikhas (gnomys - seekers). It is their religion not to cut hair or beard. Many women in long colorful gowns ~~wear~~ a red spot on the forehead. I must learn the significance of this. The people are polite and friendly. Dart says one would probably be quite safe from assault or robbery in town despite all the poverty. A young man, perhaps 18, talked to us at length while I was purchasing a piece of wood inlay work. He was a University student majoring in art. He identified the hawk-like bird seen here as a chala - a kit. It appears to be the same bird we saw along the east coast of Africa.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 19 New Delhi Jan. 11 At dusk large numbers of a green parakeet-like bird about 10" long settled in the trees along the roadways in the center of town. These clattering was added to the din of car horns, bicycle bells and human voices. Other birds seen were gray back crowes with a saw like our American go crow and a myna-like bird. At the hotel I have seen English sparrows and several small unidentified species. There is much tree growth in town, much of it evidently native. Although roads are paved there is much bare ground and a good deal of it is undulating and a little dusty. Since people spit and blow their nooses (between their fingers) onto the ground, one desires not to inhale this dust. I saw no dogs or cats but we did see a few ox drawn carts. The animals looked Brahman but I may not be correct in this. I saw one horse drawn cart with wheels 5' in diameter, There are many small European cars and bicycles. At a policeman stop near the parliament building some 15 cyclists were lined up along with 2 or 3 cars. As noted earlier there is a great range in wealth. Within a few hundred feet of our 6 story hotel with its red carpet floors and
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Stirling R. 1963 Ascan Trip 20 New Delhi Jan. 11 elegant shops are thatched huts I need and stone and people in rags. Women sprawl in balconies at the large swimming pool and fountain at the hotel while others in the dirt streets of the earthen village scape ask a hard existence. Embassy buildings are situated SW of our hotel within an easy walk. Nearby also are government housing units reminiscent of those in our own Richmond area, but if motor. The excellence of the housing depends on one's cost, according to Bart. Jan. 12 Went to roof of hotel and took movie shots of government housing cooperative, the poor sector north of the hotel, and the men who repair upholstery, etc. Bart and I then went to Connaught Place where we cashed some traveler's cheques and checked on our mail. While he went to the USIS (U.S. Intelligence Service), I went by "tricycle" taxi to the Ford Foundation Office at 32 Ferozeshah Rd. but found the office closed. I was told Fayette Parvin was head man. Returned to near Connaught Place and photographed street scene. [over] As I waited for a shot, a Mr. S. N. Das Gupta introduced himself. He was formerly with the Indian Assist Trade Commission
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20a Das Gupta seemed perplexed and exasperated when I could not tell him precisely who I had come to see. He made it clear that Indians always have things well organized. He almost snarled with anger when I told him I was goin[g] to Pakistan. He said, "Why are you going?* Don't you know they are flirting with Communist China?"
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 21 New Delhi Jan. 12 for the Far East but is now unemployed. He said I should contact Mr. Hemayeen Kabi, Minister of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs (TE - 33-535) to arrange for talks on socioic trading. Das suggests that we should avoid such casual approaches. Most will be useful if timed but it is difficult to brush off a friendly person. Mr. Das Gupta wants me to meet him for dinner but I will have to decline. About 5:00 p.m. I wandered about the countryside beyond the hotel grounds looking for birds and other wildlife. Tried "squeaking" and attracted about a dozen birds of several species along an overgrown fence. Near a watercourse, found a colony of Indian monkeys. feeding on refuse on an embankment near a housing unit. A young Indian, B. Dhanushkodi, who works at the hotel (over) joined me and we walked into a wooded patch where we found several species of birds. When a dog barked, the monkeys tore to the trees. My guide told me that the children feed the monkeys and that the animals have become quite tame. They came to within 5 ft. of me when I crouched and moved my fingers as though I had something in my hand. One large individual was pointed out as the chief. Dhanushkodi said the animals are protected
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Dhanushkodi has completed 10th grade but has had no college education. He spoke English well and I could understand him better than most Indians live contacted. He is very dark- skinned, almost black. He wore a green sweater and slacks and looked western in dress as do many of the people here. I found he agreed with me that a serious problem is the great number of people and that birth control was essential. He was quick to point out that India is working on this problem and that the "pill" is now in use. He was proud of Nehru and said he was a kind man, considerate of the poor. The poor are giving "blood money" to fight the Chinese war and are more responsive to the National emergency than the rich, he claims. He noted the contrast between the Ashoka Hotel and the hotels nearby, and said such differences prevail in India.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ascain Trip 2,2 New Delhi to Ceylon Jan. 12 because they helped man build a bridge by dropping stones in the sea many hundreds of years ago. Law also protects birds. I tried squeaking again and called in a green parakeet (?), a Karuppuam Thalyan (meaning black head), and a wren-like bird with long erect tail, slender curved beak & nervous manner. Glancing to SW I could see about 10 chole circling over the Ashoka Hotel. They evidently use the rising air currents, deflected by the cliff-like sides of the building. There are obviously many birds that could be studied by school children. The small natural woods with its monkeys and birds is a fine outdoor laboratory. Chewed leaves indicate that insects are present although none was seen, perhaps because of the time of year. We walked into the village of the poor I had photographed from the top of the Ashoka. Two little boys admired my lizard tie pin and I crouched to give them a close look. Mr. Thonushkodi explained to them what it was. Soon some 8 thin, bedraggled men stood along the path, having emerged from their humble dwellings. I learned they thought I was a government official and feared I was going to order clearance of the area for construction of a building.
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22a I have also been told this bird is the nightingale or bullbull.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 23 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 12 At 5:15 p.m. the road SE of the hotel was a great stream of traffic - tricycle taxis, auto taxis, carts, small European cars, and bicycles bearing the town workers to their homes. During lunch, Dr. Dart told me a little about Buddhism. Buddha was a teacher who grew up in Nepal. He never claimed deity although his followers, many of them, regarded him as a good god. His teachings grew out of Hinduism and eventually formed a rather distinct religion. The goal in both Hinduism and Buddhism seems to be to have one's spirit be freed from the wheel of birth - living - and dying and to have one's spirit join the great spiritual essence that permeates the universe. Growing out of a hard existence, the philosophy is one of developing a capacity to endure and to accept one's fate in tolerance and tranquility of spirit. All life is respected but over not necessarily treated well. An animal may be mistreated but not killed. Extremist, not seldom seen, may sweep the ground in their path to avoid stepping on ants or may cover nose and mouth, not as a protection against germs, but to prevent them being inhaled & destroyed, according to Mr. Shanushkodi. This religious viewpoint is an impediment to scientific progress.
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23a The Buddhists evidently do not necessarily believe in a god in the form of a man. The life force may be worshiped in many manifestations and thus god-like properties may be attributed to a variety of living things. Bird Sanctuary at Bharatpur, 110 mi. from Delhi.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 24 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 12 Nature is not viewed as something to be controlled but rather to be ordered. The Christian philosophy of good works (at least a view held by some Christians) does not apply and there is little effort to convert, to better the lot of one's self and others. There is little force among the uneducated to push for cure of disease, improvement of living conditions, because of this ancient attitude of acceptance of what is. Those who are stirred to achieve the easy life of the West are impressed by our technology and are inclined to get there quickly and are not much interested in basic research. If they do not accept the importance of fundamental studies applied in their own country and their own cultural context, they may forever be dependent on outside science. At least this is the situation as viewed by Dart who has spent a year or so in Nepal and nearby areas. It will be our job to that if these to follow to encourage the acceptance of the importance of pure science as well as the practical aspects of science. Jan. 13 Sunrise at 7:20 am. through a ground mist and a low-hanging brown haze (smog?). I'm impressed with the great number of birds. The morning chorus was so great I was drawn to the window where I could
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 25 New Delhi Jan. 13 sec gray crows, flocks of the myna-like bird, many smaller species, chalas, etc. The chores reminded me of the crescendo of bird music heard in my boyhood in the Santa Monica Mountains. A few minutes after sun rise the songs ceased abruptly and only an occasional crow was heard. Mornings are cool but not uncomfortable. One feels comfortable dressed in undershirt and coat at night outdoors. The weather so far has been beautifully clear, except for morning haze and some dust in the afternoon. Jan. 15 Met Mr. Dhanushkodi at 9:40 a.m. at the monkey site. Filmed the monkeys and Indian children feeding them. The children were afraid of the old male who occasionally snarled & charged them and were impressed when I went into the woods to film them when they were frightened into the trees by a dog. The band contains 12-15 individuals. There seems to be only one dominant male. There were 3 or 4 females old enough to be on their own, intermediate sizes and I saw one large female with an infant clinging to her belly. One adult seen to drink spent a minute or so sweeping his left hand across the water surface before drinking, perhaps to remove surface contaminants since the stream, although clear in places had a floating
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Cocoa Trip 26 New Delhi Jan. 13 scrum. The children attracted the monkeys by making a cooing or hooting sound and in this way called them over for photographing. The animals took food directly from the hand. When frightened into the trees some climbed to a height of 50 ft. Mr. Dhanushkodi said the wild patch was protected for the sake of the monkeys. Tameness of the wild birds is further indication of the regard these Indians have for animal life. Repeatedly small song birds fed within 8 or 10 ft. of me at a flock of some 50 sparrows has been seen for several days now alternately moving from a tree to the ground in the living area of one of the thatch roof shelters N of the hotel. The birds fly up into the tree only when they are nearly stepped on. Chasers sit on lamp posts 15 ft. overhead and the gray- back crow works garbage within 12 ft. of gaping children. A hoopoe foraging on the ground 15 ft. from me as I filmed it with telephoto. Tameness also applies somewhat to small mammals. I saw a weasel-like creature in a gully at a distance of 8 ft. and a dorso-ventrally flattened shipworm- like animal at 15 ft. The ease with which people can get close to animals should make possible effective use of field observations in school science studies.
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Jan. 13 Photographed until 12:00 noon, getting shots of the Indian children, cattle, cows & dogs at refuse dump, a man being shaved with old style jack knife - type razor - barber and his customer squatting on the ground, "shop" keepers sitting on the ground with their produce spread out in front of them. Thatched huts, etc. The children (& adults) are eager to be photographed. I had difficulty singling out subject matter because I often had a backdrop of grinning faces. The children would scuffle and occasionally hit one another to gain a position in front row. The barber combed his hair when he learned I was going to photograph him. At one time I had some 30 children all under 10 years old pressing against me with such force I could not move until the adults came to my rescue. Many of these children are poorly clothed and it appeared that about 2 or 2 ½ had a running nose. All were thin. Indeed, I have yet to see a fat person among the poor. The Indians are obviously fond of their children and among the poor the adoption of them constitutes one of their few costly possessions. In the afternoon Dr. Dast went off for an engagement and I continued my photographic work, getting a picture of the hotel and traffic along the main road to town. Found late 8" long (40+) on side of Ashoka Hotel behind large pipe. Animals arranged in tandem.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip 28 New Delhi Jan. 13 At 5:30 p.m. Dr. Dart and I went to a reception of Film Festival people at the home of John Reid. Reid is head of Calcutta USIS, After the reception we went to the home of Dr. Fisher In charge of films (USIS) for all India. (USIS) for dinner. This social affair was productive with respect to our project. We met the following people: (USAID) Dr. and Mrs. N.E. Bingham of 77 Suderagar, phone 75442. Dr. Bingham has been here for many months. He recommended strongly that we try to visit the following schools: Ramjas High School, No. 4, NW of Connaught Place. Lady Irwin High School, Curzon near USIS office. Principal is Mr. Sen Gupta. Modern School at the edge of old delhi. USIS headquarters in at 1 Sikandra Rd. phone 17173, Dr. D.S. Nigam, Coordinator for Directorate of Secondary School Programs in Education. He explained that they were engaged in a program to up-grade teacher training by workshops, etc. but that a big problem was transportation of teachers to the Training centers. Few have personal cars. The teachers are not obliged to attend and do not get paid. Training is in all educational areas. The program is 6 years old.
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DEPSE 29 McCracken Mr. Reid's address is 32 Kagamudden East. Jun. 13 Mr. Bingham suggested several contacts - Dr. Kothari, professor of physics at Delhi Univ., chairman of the Grants Committee Phone: 228946. and Dr. P. Maheshwari, chairman of Botany at New Delhi, Univ. Bingham are involved with DEPSE of which there are 69 centers in India. The organization provides U.S. technical assistance. At each center a jeep, film library, and library is supplied and the principal of the school acting as a center is the local director. The program and focal directors are under the Directorate of Education, Mr. Raj Roy Singh, in New Delhi. Bingham mentioned that a person who knows what's going on in education is S. Doraswami, a botanist. He edits the major botanical journal. His wife is Deputy Director of DEPSE and really is in charge of the whole thing. Bingham has promised to give me the name of a zoologist high up in Indian education in the Delhi area.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 30 New Delhi Jan. 13 Mr. B.K. Athalye, director of the National Institute of Audio-visual Education. Indraprasth Estate, Ring Rd., New Delhi (near WHO headquarters). He is worked in the development of instructional aids, including films, but film production is secondary to other aids. His preference is to use foreign films at present time and to deal in Hindi language. He pointed out there are 14 languages in India but that they use only Hindi and English in films. He said it may sound unpatriotic but that he feel there should someday be a world language and that it probably should be English. Mr. and Mrs. V. Ranganathan, Mrs. Central Institute of Education in Empion Ranganathan teaches English. Mr. Ranganathan is Deputy Chief of Scientific and Defence Development Organization in the Ministry of Defence Mr. and Mrs. Weatheraby. Mr. Weatheraby is head of USIS. He was formerly stationed for 6 years in Egypt and has been here 1 yr. Miss M.H. Mason, USIS, will head Film Festival in Calcutta. She lives at 7 Chowringhee Rd., Calcutta 13. She mentioned at a Mr. Eric Avary at Darjeeling who is interested in nature study and runs a Museum of Natural History.
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Jan. 13 The place is about 300 miles N of Calcutta at about 7000 ft. in the foothills of the Himalayas. Very cold there now - snow. Can reach area by sail or bus from base I met First by joining to met. Base can be by plane or train. Dr. Dart said that along the south base of the Himalayas is a strip of jungle, preserved because area is plagued with malaria and alluvium is so porous outflowing streams disappear in ground and emerge to south. Area is unsuited to rice planting. In this jungle strip are tigers, a wild ox, elephant, etc. When I asked Weatherby for name of key man he mentioned Dr. Kirpal, secretary in Ministry of Education. At 2:00 p.m. tomorrow the Film Festival will start and Mr. Sethi of Central Institute of Education will be there. Phone 43041 USIS. (Mr. Allen). Met also Commander Bird (MO) who is administering the Film Festival program and Walter Auffenberg, an old friend, from BSCS.
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Stubbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip New Delhi Jan. 15 Dr. Dart & I sorted out people we will contact individually & jointly, concerning our service project. I went first to see Dr. Dorothy Nyswander an old friend of Bill Griffiths. She is Professor Emeritus, U.C. Berkeley, & formerly in Public Health and the one who brought Bill to Berkeley. She obviously was well acquainted with India and was very helpful. She is presently serving as a special health consultant in family planning to the Ministry of Health. She stressed that I should contact Paul Leonard, formerly president of the Univ. of San Francisco and who is now directs educational work for AID. Phone 22-67-74, home 75027. He is at the Central Institute of Education, Lin. 22. 33 Probogen Rd., Delhi 6 - near University. She also urged that I see T.K.N. Menon who is concerned with secondary training institutions in India. His phone, 27014. She feels it best if I were to meet him through Leonard. Athalye was identified as having good ideas on paper but thus far he has not been very effective. This opinion stems from the views of Dr. Udell of the Univ. of Penna., who spent 1 yr. as an audio-visual consultant in Athalye's division. Dr. Nyswander mentioned that a Margaret Patterson of the Ford Foundation)
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Jan. 14 had spent much time (a year?) conferring with science teachers. Reports on her findings are in the Ford Foundation files but evidently the bulk of her finds were taken with her when she left. I touched on the subject of birth control and Dr. Nyawander mentioned that she is trying hard to get family planning advice and help at the family level instead of at the level of a social service program, involving major printing and other routine. Indians should be able to get contraceptives at drug stores as we do. The pill is not in use, she said. The ministry of Health does not want Indian women to be used in experimentation. An intrauterine coil is being used. The rhythm method, although still recommended has proved to be ineffectual. I met Dr. Fayette W. Parvin, formerly from the Univ. of Florida, I believe. He is assistant representative of the Ford Foundation here. He had heard we were coming and had looked through the lab. science document. In commenting on Indian education, he said the Indians are much concerned with quantity of education and that the level of quality is declining. I believe he intimated this to be caused by the increase in population. Ford offered a plan to select a few of the better schools and to upgrade with Ford help the quality of education. These schools were
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Stobbe R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 15 to be looked upon as models and issue to serve as a vanguard that perhaps could stimulate a more widespread upgrading of education. I believe Ford had in mind developing perhaps 8 or 10 such schools but although the Indian contact on this matter seemed to agree, some time later he talked about using the money offered to help the schools in a depressed area, evidently missing (or ignoring) the Ford objective. Parvin now is simply biding his time, hopeful that the Indians will eventually accept the original proposal. Ford also urged, and was willing to help support, 5 primary teacher training institutions as each as a pilot effort but the Indians, for political reasons want to have one in each state. They are thinking in terms of 85 units. The big bugaboo to improving science training is the External Examination. The attitude is negative if not outright rebellious against teaching anything not likely to appear on this Examination. The examination is set by retired faculty members and others (university scholars) who form an elite group that determines what must be known to enter college.
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Jan. 15. At Calcutta, for example, this group sets the exam for it and 72 affiliated colleges. A similar pattern occurs elsewhere. Univ. Grants Commission has been working on the External Exam reform. Parvin feels that until this rigid pattern is broken there can be little change. He feels it will take an act from some high level office to bring it about. In the afternoon, visited the Film Festival which was held at the Central Institute of Education 33, Chhatra Marg, Delhi 6, at the University. This was one of the sessions in the series that is being conducted in India by the American Scientific Film Forum "New Approaches to Science Teaching". The Delhi sessions are on Jan. 14, 15, 16, and 17. at 3:00 p.m. Welcoming remarks were made by Prof. T.K.N. Menon, Principal, Central Institute of Education. An Inaugural address was made by Prof. T.R. Deshadri, Head of the Dept. of Chemistry at Univ. of Delhi, and Dr. Walter Auffenberg, Assist. Director, Bio Sci., Curriculum Studies, Univ. of Colo., commented on the films. Dr. Richard A. Boolootian was there. He is vice-president of the American Science Film Association.
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February, R., 1960 Jan. 15 Asian Trip 36 New Delhi Jan. 15. Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles, Dr. Edward W. Bird, Commander, U.S. Navy, Bureau of Medicine & Surgery is directing the film program and Mrs. N.E. Bingham, Educational Television Teacher, North Central Florida Public Schools was present as an educational advisor. Saw most of film "Baboon Behavior" & all of "Darwin's Finches". The latter is supposed to be for elementary school children but I'm afraid it would not get across the idea of "natural selection" which was mentioned several times in the film. The Indian audience was quiet and uncommunicative. Auffenberg said their faces were immobile and he could not tell whether his remarks were pitched at the proper level. Upon arrival at the Central Institute, a member of us visited with Dr. Menon who is Head of the School of Education at the University of Delhi. Auffenberg & Boolootian were present. Dr. Menon told us that all children are required to take general science, & begin at the level of what they call the "middle" school. In Delhi in the last 3 years of secondary school, science is optional.
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31 Jan 14 Dr. Mason pointed out that often students who fail in other professional programs requiring an MA or PhD, turn to teaching. This has a familiar ring. He feels that integrating subject matter and teacher training will help and India is moving in that direction. The teacher training program would then more closely resemble that in the U.S. At the present time the student gets 4(?) years of subject matter work and then his training in education. In 4 parts of India science teacher training centers are being developed. These centers are located in the science education departments. It is a 4 year program. The objective is to select high school graduates and give them an integrated program of science and education. The 4 training centers will not only prepare science educators but will also provide inservice training for teachers. He mentioned that Dr. & Mrs. Bingham (Univ. of Columbia sponsorship) said out to U.S. and bring in trained Indians in a program to develop science educators. They have also been involved in conducting educational surveys in India.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 14 Dr. Menon is strong for science and feels that "our survival depends on it." He was interested in the laboratory guidelines material and wished a copy of the Nat'l Acad. document. I promised him he would receive the revised version that would appear following our trip. He gave, at least, lip service to the need for the experimental approach to science in contrast to rote memorization but I do not know how deep this goes. He is obviously a key man and highly intelligent and capable. There was not time to fully develop the ideas expressed by the manual. I had caught him between showing 7 films and he is leaving for the south tomorrow. I did speak to him briefly about my personal work in the elementary grades and emphasized our desire in America to have children experience the scientific method and to get some insight into the way a scientist proceeds. Menon felt this highly desirable. Prof. Seshadri, the chemist, at one point made the remark that we must not be "too modern" (with respect to science) too early. He expressed this view when I told him we were concerned
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39 about the great lag between today's science as known to the scientific world at that found in the schools. He remarked that children must have their fairy tales, to which he added In his inaugural address to the film festival gathering, he stress the beauty revealed by science. There are some 100 teachers colleges in India. The hope is that eventually every college will have incentive program for upgrading teacher training in all phases. At present time the Central Institute provide a jeep, audio- visual materials, a library in connection with the program. Menon is head of their incentive program. Secondary school teachers are to be brought in to these centers. At the present time their participation is optional and they are not paid. The program is 5 yrs. old. Menon also mentioned that they were encouraging the formation of Science Clubs, and that they were attempting to search out superior students in science. It is a tremendous job. There are 20,000 secondary schools. There must be screening at the state and finally the national level,
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Stolbrin, R. 1963 40 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 19 The present objective is to identify 500 outstanding students. Starting this summer there will be summer institutes of science. These will be 1-2 months duration. They will be held in Delhi, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. At each 4 fields of science will be covered -- biology, chemistry, physics, and general science. The institutes will be held at Universities. The Minister of Education, Dr. K.L. Shrimali is organizing the program. In travelling across town to the University, which is about the same distance N of town as Ashoka is to S, we went through a wild section as we approached the Univ. I hope to stop there before I leave. I was told by Dr Cleland who will head Science Film Festival in Madras, that the large walnut-like tree, prevalent in the area occupied by the monkeys mentioned earlier & seen along roadways is the Neem Tree. One can break off and fray the tip of [illegible] a branch and use it like a tooth brush. It can be used to massage the gums. There is a tooth paste known as Neem paste. I told Boolootian about my population film. He has offered articles on his
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Jan. 14 elephant seal work if I wish any. I failed to mention earlier that in the evening, in town one sees circles of people standing and eating fried cakes, etc around an outdoor cooking. This is merely a hot plate on coals and is tended by a man who may serve up the hot food on large leaves. In connection with the birth control problem, Mrs. Weathersby feels that birth rate will fall when the people have electric lights and T.V. At present there is nothing to do after dark but to go to bed. Jan. 15 At 8:30am Dr. Dart and I visited Dr. Paul Leonard, Director for educational projects of AID (AID formerly TCM - Technical cooperative mission), at Faridkot House, Lytton Rd. He had the following comments on Indian education: There are 75 million children under 14 yrs old in India at present. In rural areas only 40% get through the 1st grade, 30% enter ninth grade and 1% graduate from the University. Half the secondary school children fail. In Delhi 75% go through the elementary school -through 8th grade. High school consists of 9th through eleventh grades. Only 50-60% of the children over all of India pass their Matriculation or External Examination which then permits them to go on to college. Even though a student is failing in his work, he may continue and when he
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Slutz R 1963 Asad Trip 42 New Delhi Jan 15 completes secondary school his diploma is marked "Matriculation Failed" Each state sets its own Matriculation Exam. However, little by little, increasing emphasis is occurring on the Internal Exam which in Delhi is now weighted about 20%. The University faculty sets the Matriculation questions. Faculty members decide these courses, provide book lists and other requirements and then formulate exam in terms of these requirements. Demand at first declined External Exam but now feels it has merit. If there is no External Exam, there is no standard for measuring performance and little protection of the teacher from parental or political pressures. Demand is getting under way this summer with an institute program. Among topics to be covered will be the PSSC material. The high school physics course requires only $125 worth of equipment. The plan is to buy a few sets of equipment and Indian artisans will copy them. There will be 4 institutes (as I have described earlier) under the University Grants Commission. Demand said the Russians are trying hard to get into India with science programs; UNESCO has been trying to
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Streets have curbing of stone blocks, 6"x18"x14" that are fitted tightly together & may or may not be cemented. When not cemented it makes possible widening the street without having to destroy the curbing. I saw many instances of Indian laborers, including women engaged in widening streets by resetting these curbing stones. Have seen piles of coal. Fuel evidently consists of coal but & it is apparently unpatented. An oil engineer travelling with me on flight to Calcutta said no natural gas in India. Kerosine & charcoal used. Natural gas in W. Pakistan. It is said (Mrs Mason, USIS, Calcutta) that some joo people cripple a baby's hand so that they can be more successful at begging. They hold forth the child's deformed hand.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan, 15 encourage setting up of laboratory science program in 6 or 8 colleges and universities. Several countries were considered with respect to this contract, the U.S., United Kingdom, and there was a place for a write in when the group voted on the matter. Russia was given the contract on a write in, yet the U.S. is mostly footing the UNESCO bill. Leonard is perturbed with the overall operation of the organization. He does not want the Russians to come in and fool around in the secondary schools. Actually the contract has not yet been agreed to by the Indians. He hopes the Indians will decline. Leonard has chatted with the Indian Ministry of Education to see if the U.S. PSSC course might be used but so far the ministry has been unresponsive. Prof. D.S. Kothari of the Univ. Grants Committee very much approves, however. Financing of institutes would be distributed as follows: Ministry of Education 25%, University Grants Committee 25%, and USIS (AID) 50%. Forty teachers will be included in each institute. There will be available subject material in each teacher's field of interest. The institute hopes to help these teachers adapt the new curricular materials and there will be a follow up on these for teachers.
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Jan. 15 45 in their respective schools. The effort will be to get the best teachers that can be found. There will be one U.S. professor for each work- shop. A few incidental comments: There are 5 elementary school texts in Punjab area. Out of 250 teacher training institutes, there are only 5 science labs. Out of 18000 secondary schools in India, 2000 teach physics. Lemard expressed a desire for copies of our guide-lines manual for use and evolution (of the manual) in the summer institute program. Dr. Dant enquired further about dropout jun school. Important reason is economic. Children are obliged to work. "The old man quits at 45, makes peace with his friends and relatives prior to that, then spends his last 10 years making peace with God." 90% of secondary schools are private "All" students are after government jobs. This stems from British background. They set up secondary schools to pick people for government jobs. Lemard has serious question as to how many children should go through secondary school. The thinking through in this point will be done by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Committee. The Ministry will then advise the states on this matter. The Central Govt. gives grants to the state govt.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Aisin Trip 46 New Delhi Jan. 15 Poor children get their tuition waived and the Government pays the bill. Teachers The Summer Institute for Science will be in June and July - or it may start as early as May. It will run 8 or 10 weeks. Leonard seemed unsure as to what could be done in biology at teaching institute. BSCS materials, he felt, needed to be adapted to the country, drawing upon examples of Indian flora and fauna and such an adaptation has not been undertaken. I suggested that field observation approach might be stressed and described what we have been attempting with the ranger program in the Jewel Lake Nature Area. He agreed something of this sort might be done. I pointed out the excellent opportunities to study birds, since they are so abundant and tame in India. At 10:15 a.m., I visited Professor P. Makeshwarji, Chairman of the Department of Botany, New Delhi Univ. I described the purpose of my visit, briefly outlined for him the content of the guide-lines report and allowed him to look through the manual. He seemed pleased with it and asked if I could send him a copy which he would evaluate and returned. He
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Jan. 15 feel that as long as copies were sent to specific persons with whom Dr. Dork and I had spoken, we need not fear that there would be premature printing. In answer to my query as to whether scientists, educators, and secondary school teachers had begun any cooperative effort in India to upgrade science teaching, he pointed out that he is chairman of a committee made up of 15 biologists drawn from all over India to outline projects for writing science books. The committee will meet for two days and will draw up book outlines which will then be turned over to writers who will be in constant touch with the scientists. 9th grade class level starts biology. The children then are about 15 yrs. old. Those who take science have a choice of life science or physical science. The better students choose the latter for there at present it carries far more prestige. Maheshanori lists the science subject fields in order of prestige from highest to lowest as follows: mathematics, physics, chemistry, bology, zoology, anthropology. The best students never come to biology! He feels biology should be required of all students, and urged me to do all I could to bring it about. He knows G. L. [illegible] L. Stebbins and has
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 48 New Delhi Jan 15 visited in the U.S. Mahesharwi summarized his remarks by saying he thought ① Biology must be integrated with physics and chemistry ② must be taught as a unified science, including both botany and zoology and ③ should make use of field studies. I described my own work in the elementary grades and he asked me to send him a copy of "Animal Colonies." I then went with Dr. Ngai to the Birla High Secondary School, grades 6-11. I believe he said the school conferred conferred the Master of Science in Biol. I met the principal Dr. M.D. Sharma, a most gracious gentleman and visited the biology, chemistry, and physics laboratories. The biology lab was a room perhaps 30 x 40 feet (quite spacious). It probably would hold some 24 students. There was adequate desk space but rather weak lighting from a bank of Narada's (it was overcast) + no lights were on in the lab. About 10 students were at work, several learning the parts of a flower, which they were pulling apart and describing in connection with listing the family characteristics. The rest
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Jan. 15 were dissecting recently pitted frogs. I learned the frogs had been brought in for my benefit when they learned I was a zoologist. The study approach was morphological and evidently rote memory. I asked to see examples of previous work and was shown 3 newspaper covered, hard back notebooks with drawings and descriptive data on plant and animal types - emphasis on morphology and classification. Each accepted drawing had been signed and dated by the teacher, a shy, youthful slender young man. I was then shown the students' "rough" notebooks which contained mathematics (trig), physics, & other notes, evidently taken during lectures. Finally I saw neatly written answers to specific questions, all drawn up by each student in notebook form, evidently in preparation for the External Examination. An example -- "What are the evidences of organic evolution?" (1) Evidence from paleontology...... Then an explanation followed by items (2), (3), etc. I asked if the students actually saw fossils or could go into the field anywhere to find them. The answer was 'no'.
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Stotzner, R. 1963 50 Asahi Trip New Delhi Jan. 15 Wall exhibit cases contained rather complete stuffed animals with dramatic backgrounds - mongoose and cobra, hawk feeding on a bird, other stuffed birds. A wall case contained many small jars of preserved animals in spirits. I was told these were species from India, illustrative of taxonomic types. Obviously the approach here is the old morphology - Taxonomy one and there appears to be little of modern biology. The chemistry lab was smaller, perhaps 25 x 25', also poorly lighted (no lights were on). The students used small spirit lamps for heating substances. Numerous dust-covered bottles with old-looking labels stood on the center piece that ran the length of the work table. The tables faced me another and were separated by this central partition except where sinks were located. In none of the labs visited were any black boards seen except for one small one in the physics lab. The chemistry students - boys I perhaps 14-15yrs. were engaged in qualitative analysis and each had been given an unknown substance to identify. In the physics lab, the students were studying electrical conductivity of
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51 Jan 15 I write - some sort of potentiometer approach. I then had tea and cakes with the principal & Dr. Ngiam, wrote a comment in the guest book - mine the first entry in a new book, then we went out to the school yard and watched the entire student body of 1300 boys do a series of setting up exercises in precise drill tempo. A teacher call orders from a microphone on a platform overlooking the field. The boys were well disciplined and kept a perfect rhythm of activity. When I came to the platform they clapped and the principal said it was a greeting. At the end of the drill the field was quickly cleared as the boys marched off in twos, arms swinging stiffly through a large arc. I learned that this was the biggest institution of its type in Delhi - that the labs hold 24 students and that a given lab. handles 450 students a week. A lab is open from 7:30 am. to 1 pm. The school is on split shifts to handle its large enrollment. Each lasts 35 mins. The building was mortar covered, paint weathering & steps of stone worn. It looks like it has had long use.
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Stobbe, R. 1963 Assam Trip 52 New Delhi Jan. 15 We then went to the Municipal Corporation H.S.S. which contains 450 students and saw a much better group physics lab in operation. They were working on the same problem as the previous group. Their intelligent-looking teacher, Ved Ratna, spoke excellent English. The school is located on Rose Ave.- Phone 44085. B.K. Thaper is the principal. He said they gave no biology because they could not find a satisfactory teacher. He urged me to go to a town called Shardagram, minute to Karachi where Keshod... airport I could see lions and other big game in the wild. A former student of his is principal of the Residential School there and asked drive me the 12 miles out of town to the animal protection area. Ghandi started the school. The principal is R.C. Chaturani. The animal locality is Somater. Thaper was a former student of Negam. He has been to the Univ. of Wisconsin as a Fulbright fellow. Negam, incidentally, has been to Canada. Negam feels there must be more than manuals to upgrade Indian science.
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63 Jan, 15 teaching. He points out there is no dearth of written works. He suggests that we send scientists who can meet with Indian secondary school teachers and go over PSSC or other curriculum materials with them. These teachers then can, in turn teach others in workshops. Thus training may snowball. Rajiv Nigam mentioned that there were "bird gazing" clubs in deNhi and that people are very fond of the birds. One poor man, when asked why he let the bird eat his grain, said "Man must feed the birds". At 3:30 p.m. I had an appointment with Jt. Educational Adviser, Raja Roy Singh at the Central Secretariat, N Block, at the Ministry of Education. I arrived early so wandered about the grounds. On each side of a long central quad with roadway are groups of buildings of red sandstone (?) that are mainly impose. Newer has offices in the S Block. To the west is the president's quarters and There are many pools set in the walkways. They have no elevated areas. One could easily
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Stehuis, R. 1963 54 Asian Tripo New Delhi Jan. 15 blundered into them. The water was dark green, hardly grum to algae. The myna-like bird and the gray goose were prevalent. I saw a torix wigg just with 3 feet of a grazing "oupea" and it did not fly. This bird is robin size, has yellow legs and bill, a yellow bare patch around the eye, olive back & chest, dark tail and wings. There are white spots at the tip of the tail and a white patch on the secondaries. Over the entryway to one of the buildings of the N block was the following inscription: "Liberty will not descend to a people. A people must raise themselves to liberty. It is a blessing that must be earned to be enjoyed." Inside was public information on the Chinese aggression. Dr. Singh, a vigorous, solidly built dark skin man of 45+ received me graciously and listened attentively to my description of "guide - lines". He expressed sympathy with the views expressed and said he would set up a group to study and evaluate the proposals if we requested this and sent him copies. I described my work in elementary school science to illustrate further the kind of approach presented in "guidelines". He seems to be truly interested. I described my anxiety in meeting elementary school children and he told how once I, thero
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"3 Jan. 15 Top scientists were made very nervous when they got up before secondary school teachers to describe their work and to help in upgrading teaching. I promised him I would send a copy of "animal colation". It should go to the Joint Educational Adviser, Ministry of Education. Singh mentioned a man to see was A.C. Joshi (vice-chancellor) - Secondary Education. He is a botanist who is chairman of a committee which is in charge of text-books in general service. He is president of the Science Teachers Association in India. He lives in Chandigarh, 140 miles away so I'm afraid will miss him. Sent 16mm film rolls 5644 & 5664 to Larry Dawson for processing. Jan. 16 Today I had an appointment with Dr. G.K. Athalye, 132 Kaka Nagar-11 Phone 7-43-16. He is in charge of the National Institute of Audio-visual Education, Indraprasth Estate 1, Ring Rd., Delhi. The Institute is located near the World Health Headquarters. My taxi driver turned out not to know the way and I was 15 minutes late. Athalye had gone. Instead I talked to R.B. Lal, Technical Officer. He turned out to be a gold mine of information. Lal is a slender young man in his early 20s, perhaps. He spoke fluently and at length on the subject of Indian education.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 56 Asian Trips New Delhi Jan. 16 These follow some of his points: The NIAE is a central government organization that turns people for subsidizing state units. The latter are supervised and financed by the state governments. NIAE started in 1956, but has only really been active over the last 2 years. Most educational films distributed are imported, however film strips are easily adapted. The Institute contains the largest audio-visual library in India. It has accumulated 7-8000 films. Most home made films are of mass media type. Most schools want films in regional languages, at least at the elementary grade level. The higher income groups, howerver, want films in English. The primary schools tend to be run by government agencies. Tal pointed out there was no use in putting out films in great quantities until more schools have adequate projection equipment & facilities. Nedia Institute concentrates on charts and booklets which it mass produces. They also stress training of teachers to use audio-visual media. Teachings are brought to the Instituts for a short term course of 3 months. They are given an allowance in addition
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27 Jan, 16. to their normal salary. Hostel living accommodation are provided. Since the period of training comes in summer, there is no disruption of school routine. The Institute gets more applicants than it can handle. Bal then commented on general aspects of Indian education and common elements that have emerged in other interviews appeared. He said science teachers are often the influence students except for those trained in a few exceptional schools. Thus often the science teacher is not a person who can understand the need for improvement in science training. The External Examination tends to be repetitive - the same questions appear year after year. This applies also to the questions covering laboratory work. Each State has an examining board. There are 14 states. People are asked to serve from high schools and colleges. A closely knit group forms and the pattern perpetuates itself - the whole thing becomes a closed corporation. The exams seldom try to test real understanding of science. In the mathematics area, however, things are
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi 58 Jan. 16 a little better. Stress tends to be on rote memory. Little testing of ability to think and to learn logically. Institute has been forced into selecting films that help in the exams, however, outside films are often general. Tal. said there are 3 basic problems that face those who would upgrade education: (1) There is a gap between what is being taught and what is being practiced by the student after he leaves school. Until recently there was nothing for a student to do in science later on - most of those trained in science ended up doing administrative work, civil engineering, etc. On the technical side, for example, and engineer might become merely a person who handled foreign equipment - sending it back to the country of origin for repairs, reinstalling it in its return. He really was nothing but an administrator. (2) There is the great impediment of the External Examination. To improve laboratory science this must be changed. (3) Extension service training, like that supervised by Dr. Mason will be important. It is the job of the extension service to see that the training of the student will be such as to equip him for what he will do
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54 Jan. 16 later on. This will involve teacher workshops to help them improve and orient the laboratory. The Council of Educational Research and Training is involved here. There is also training provided for administrators and planners. (stimulated by UNESCO). Jal said the Indian government is not hesitant to give money for pure research. That if the atomic energy program is so oriented, I wonder, however, how they would feel about "nature study" Jal said to get appreciation of value of basic research, he feels one must start in India at the college level. Most of their chart materials and other teaching aids try to extend learning beyond the level of rote memorization but the Institute is just beginning this kind of effort. Indian school children either get no science in school or a potent if they want to go into science. There is no general exposure to science. Jal feels that science training probably should become compulsory like 3 Rs. Even those who do not go into science would be helped. The poverty of the people limits greatly what can be done. Most children must work after school. They do not even have time for sports. About 50% are so affected. There is little money for hobbies nor is there time for science
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Stubbs, R. 1963 Asian Trip 60 New Delhi Jan. 16 when life is hard, a tired person will have little incentive to explore his environment in the scientific sense. He may have little energy left to carry enthusiasm. Tal felt the thing to do is to test out our Nat'l Sci. Found.'guidelines'proposal in a limited area first. He then showed me about the Institute. They have closed circuit T.V., projection equipment, sound recording equipment. I saw posters and charts in progress. He showed me a wooden box with sloping glass plate a device so arranged that two pictures could be flashed, one after the other. The demonstrated box had picture scenes of family planning. One scene was of a well furnished home, the parents with leisure - the father reading, the mother sewing and two children playing. The second was of a run down room, the father dozing before tired from work, the mother was ironing and 3 or 4 ragged children were fighting. I asked about the Chinese aggression. It is referred to here as 'cartographic agression'. About 50 years ago the Chinese moved into the Tibetan plateau country N of the Himalayas. This area had long been illly defined as to whether it belonged
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'61 Jan. 16. to China or India. Zol said the opportunity of the people was more toward India than China. The infiltration was accepted by India. Now, however, China is claiming areas at E & W ends of Himalayas and their soldiers have come over the Himalaya crest and have moved into valleys that open out into the Indian plains. India feels if she allows such "nibbling" to continue, no telling where it will stop. This evening Dr. Dart filled me in on a little Indian history. He told about Fatehpur Sikri, a sandstone city just outside Agra. The Shah Jahan had it built. He was a Mogul Ruler of the 16th or 17th century. After the city was finished, a minor aqueduct was discovered. No water was available. The Mogul Empire preceded the British. The British started at Calcutta as the East Indian Company (private). Military outposts arose to protect company. The British began to expand and to play one Indian state against another and sometimes got involved in battles. The Red Fort in Delhi is a remnant of the Mogul Empire. The common man probably had a rough time under the Moguls.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asiatic Trip 62 New Delhi Jan. 16 A few odd customs. Indians here show respect by holding their hands in an attitude I prefer under the chin bowing. Beggars put on a great show of distress -- as though about to die but a moment later may be laughing and in a state of full recovery -- this is not to be taken as meaning they are not in dire need. Jan. 17 Visited Dr. B.R. Seshachar, head of the zoology department at Delhi Univ. Discussed "guide lines" philosophy with him. He had following comments: The British were in nearly all departments in the universities in the carly 1900s. In zoology texts like Parker and Breweil were in use. Emphasis was on descriptive zoology. Since the war the British (U.K.) has shifted over to the new zoology but the Indians who replaced the British professors have not made such a change. Change has been impeded by (1) the heritage from the past and (2) inadequate equipment. There are shortages of animal space, experimental apparatus, etc. and the universities are in no position to do anything about it. To illustrate how inadequate are the facilities, Seshachar mentioned that he visited a zoology lab where they had a microscope but no slides showing
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"Jan. 17 chromosomes. None of the students had seen these structures. Only a few schools are getting into the new approaches to biology. Seshachar mentioned the following: Banaras (on the way to Calcutta) - called Banaras Hindu University. Professor Ray Chaudhury is supposed there in experimental biology and genetics. Then there is the Annamalai Univ. in the town of Chidambaram. The professor there is R.V. Seshaiya. Finally there is Portonovo, a small place where they have a marine biological station. According to Seshachar these are about the only places that are up and coming. Seshachar has been to the United States. He remarked that in India there were two kinds of people in the universities - those who had been to the states and those who are trying to get there. He knows Stern, Majin, Balmuth. To illustrate how Indian science is lagging, he pointed out that in entomology, a field much in demand, there was still stress primarily on morphology and field work was largely neglected. I was able to get some first hand information on the present distribution of the larger animals in India. The accompanying map brings this out.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip New Delhi Jan. 17 Delhi Bamra Calcutta Amphibians Cherrapunji 350"/yr. rainfall Assam Gujarat Tegris Ganges delta. Bombay Kagpur Western Ghats S.W. Monsoon June-Aug. 200"/yr. Kerala Amphibians Tegris Mysore Madras - Elephants Bangalore - Sankarachari have. Elephants are in Madras & Mysore Kerala has elephants, tegris, and reptiles and amphibians. Lizards occur in Gujarat - in western India. No tegristine. Rhinoceros are in Assam foothills of Himalayas. Sankarachari is a cell biologist and protozoologist. He is also Dean of the Faculty of Science and Secretary of the National Institutes of Science in India. The latter corresponds to the Royal Academy or the National Academy of Sciences in U.S.
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Jan. 17 Deschkar feels that improvement in science must start at higher levels - in the colleges. It will later get down to the grade schools. He is very pessimistic about doing much very fast. The Univ. of Delhi stresses graduate work. Around the university are satellite colleges. They are the ones that should be concerned with teaching. To illustrate the poor training of science teachers he told about a recent interview of college teachers for filling positions in chemistry and physics in satellite colleges. The college principal and the chairman of chemistry and physics were present. The latter were shocked to learn that their own teachers had not even read the elementary books in their fields. Delhi Univ., one of the best. Students are selected on the basis of the work and not on other considerations. Students are accepted from any state in India; no so in many universities ... student must be from the state in which the university is located. Deschkar asks, "How can we build Indian citizens this way or citizens of the world?" There are some 40 universities in the country. These are of 3 kinds: (1) Unitary University - both graduate & undergraduate teaching - Banaras is one.
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Steinbe R, 1963 U.sain Trip New Delhi Jan. 17 (2) Affiliating Univ. - Madras, little Teaching. Mainly conducts examinations. Sesheschar disposed to decry the closing cribs of the External Examination as have so many others. Such Universities have few students. They may have a little high level teaching. Practically all the teaching is done by a cluster of colleges which look to the University for conducting exams. (3) Federating Univ. These are just being developed. A number of colleges that teach both undergraduate and graduates. They complement one another and stress different fields - entomology, herpetology, genetics, its in addition & basic disciplines. Postgraduate students circulate or teachers are brought to central point to handle them. The college form a cluster. Sesheschar emphasized that the great gap in India is to get the bare necessities of life. Science is a luxury that must come later for the masses. One problem in producing good science students results from the rapidity with which students go through school. This has an economic backdrop. Parents are advised for children to finish quickly so they can help parents.
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Jan. 17 As a result students graduate from college when only 18 or 19 years old. This at a time when he is in need of guidance, he is on his own in the University and he flounders and must be spoon fed. If it is suggested that highschool be lengthened so that the student enters the university when he is not mature, there is a great outcry from parents. They cannot support them for this additional time. It is an acute economic problem. As an example, Deschner pointed out that he had an 18-19 year old boy who was studying for his PhD. He can't do a thing on his own. He asks for help at every step. 95% of the students are like this. As a result, Deschner does not encourage students to go to the U.S. unless they have a doctorate. To sum up the average university graduate in India has gotten to his place too quick, too early, too young, to do independent work. Delhi University currently has about 30 graduates in zoogy and there are 17 faculty members. Only 7 or 8 of them have sizable graduate groups.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip New Delhi Jan. 17 The pressure on faculty is not so much to publish (although it is there) but rather to get out PhD's. I then was given a brief tour of several labs. In one lab I saw jars of ciliates. The animals could easily be seen with the naked eye. Seebacher is studying the chemotin fibers of the macro-muscles. In another lab a young man (endocrinologist) was introduced who has worked in the U.S. He has received $20,000 from the Ford Foundation to study reproductive physiology. In another lab a young faculty member was studying gonadotropins of the pituitary of a local cat fish. He had successfully gonadectomized his animals. Seebacher decries the shortage of space to keep animals. They are using one of the lavatories in the new zoology block as an animal room. Seebacher laments the fact that so much zoology is indoors and wishes more work would be done in the field but he points out people don't like the field - where they may be uncomfortable - exposed to insects, cold, wetness, etc. I then went to the Red Fort area for photographic work. It was humidity at a low level. In one rocky patch I found
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"Jan. 17, '69 50x perhaps 100 yds. I would estimate there were 2-3 hundred people, families dwelling in perhaps 75 tents. The tents were little more than pup-tent size and patched & tattered. The people were in rags, tired looking & thin. There are many refugees in town because of the war. They may have been from the war areas but not all were mangloid types. The place smelled of feces and one had to watch his step to avoid stepping on such. Pits had been dug (as sketched) but evidently were used half heartedly, at one place some well dressed children were climbing in and out of one of these pits. Adults were looking on permitted without protest! Great flocks of bits, crows, and vultures were present. Since it is not uncommon for live- storks to die in town (I've seen a dead cow and much bloated dead pig and several near dead dogs) there is plenty of food and the scavengers perform an important service. Here the birds and cattle looked in far better condition than the people.
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Stobnicz R. 1963 Asian Trip New Delhi Jan. 17 I saw a group of 8 black water buffalo walking single file with a tiny boy following the last one. The pale gray humped cattle were common. Mrs Mason (who lives in Calcutta) told me that during death of cattle may be of more concern than human deaths. I had heard that people may lie on the street and be left for some time before removed. She pointed out that since so many people sleep on the ground with their faces covered, it is quite possible for a dead person to be considered to be sleeping and a man may begin to smell before his death is evident. I went to the canvas covered roadside place opposite run by the mongoloid (Tibetan) shop keeper who showed me the flute and stool set. He wanted 20 rupees for the set but I got him down to 12. Dent had told me the Indians & Tibetans expect to bargain and their first price is seldom held to. Left for Karachi on Pakistan International Airlines flight 206 at 7:40 p.m. from Palam International Airport. Flight time in piston plane about 2 1/2 hours. No difficulties with customs. Taken by bus to Palace
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Jan. 17, 1963 Karachi, Pakistan Hotel where airline had made a reservation. Enroute passed a rig drawn by a camel. Arrived at hotel about 9:30 p.m. Rate 50 rupees a day (about $10.00) including meals, the same paid at Lashaka but the accommodation less plush but more spacious. A sign over the sink warns that the tap water is unsafe. Bath water is yellow with sediment - rust etc.? I'm not sure I get cleaner by bathing. a few mosquitoes. Several got to me and I decided to go after antimalarial drugs. Malaria occurs here. Mr. Tinker the Scientific Attaché at the U.S. Embassy is going to fix me up on this. Jan. 18, Karachi Spent an hour or so organizing a list of people I should see concerning my educational mission. Phoned Mr. John M. Tinker at the Embassy. He had asked to let Dart & I stay with him. He has a large apartment but since he thought we were coming later, had made arrangements to leave in the 20th. The Embassy is only a few hundred yards from the hotel at Chancery - 8, Victoria Rd. - Phone 5-5061/
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Stubbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip Karachi Jan. 18 Tinker has been with the Embassy only 2 months. His post has been created recently. He is retired from the directorship of Du Pont Laboratories (I believe in Maryland). He is a slight man of perhaps 65-70 and has 4 children, all in distinguished portraits. I briefly outlined my mission and he made an appointment for me to see Mr. Kenneth R. Clem, Deputy Chief, 55031/268 Educational Division, U.S. AID to Pakistan. I saw Clem who is at the AID establishment some 2 or 3 (?) miles from the Embassy. He is a heavy-set, dynamic individual who vigorously attacked the problem of my schedule. He brought in Dr. R. A. Quraishi, Educational Admin to AID, a dark-skinned intelligent man who had training at Columbia and Cornell in educational psychology. He has also had training in physics and has taught science. His wife is a biologist with a PhD in economic entomology from Cornell. Quraishi also helped with my schedule. He mentioned that on the 19th there was to be a meeting of APWA-
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73 Jan. 18, Karachi Pakistan "All Women's Association which he thought I might wish to attend. It is to be at 3:30 pm. on the topic 'Formation of man for the construction of peace'. It will be held at the Teachers Training College at Nazim Abad. As to my schedule, we decided on one full day of secondary school visitation and the remaining 2 days to be spent in interviews. Schools tentatively selected are as follows: Newtown (girls) - Principal Miss Safia Khan. Grades 5-10. (& Mrs. Morris & the L.A. City Schools visited there) Seid Madrasa (boys) - Principal Mr. Nasir Hussain, Grades 1-10. Frere Rd. PECHS - Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society College. (girls). Principal Begum (Mrs.) Majid Malik. Grades 6-12. Frere Rd. Major Bakhtiar: Chr. Sec. Sch. Bd. PECHS. American School (mostly American children). This school was suggested Phone 41340
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 18 by WM. O. Hall, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy. Hall is a big dynamic man, open and friendly, in his late 40s (?). I believe his children attend the above school. The following people have been contacted for contact but not all are available, I find. University of Karachi Vice-Chancellor - Dr. S. H. Hussain Qureshi. Phone 4-3434. Head of Zoology ? Dr. A.H. Quadree Dean, Faculty of Science Phone 43012/49 AID Chief Educational Adviser - Dr. Lloyd E. Graves Phone 42139/255 CENTO Field Coordinator - Mr. William Abbe Deputy Chief, Educational Division Mr. Kenneth S. Clem. Phone 45649 Educational Adviser - Dr. R.A. 55031/268. Qureshi. Assist. Rehman-1256 Ministry of Education and Scientific Research X no. Secretary - Dr. S.M. Sharif - Phone 5-0716 no Deputy Educational Adviser (General) Dr. S.M. Ali Phone 5-2686
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15. Central Bureau of Education no Director UNESCO Dr. J.G. Gordon Phone 7-2749 Planning and Development Section Mr. Wali M. Jalei . Responsible for dev. of sci. ed. in Pakistan. Directorate of Education Director of Education - Dr. A.C.S. Jelani Phone 7-0425. deputy - Mr. Mirzan Phone 7-1054. A.H. Chotani, Secretary of PSCIR) PASSP ) Chairman, Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. yes Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddique - film. Lab. Office Phone 51551 or 52104. Mr. Piracha UNICEF Secretary School, X Dr. Raziauddin Siddiqui Vice Chancellor University of Sind Hyderabad. Science Advisor to Ministry Asia Foundation yes Representative for Pakistan, Curtis 54 J.M.I. Shah Farmer Phone 71770 Abdul Latifeld (Aziz Mangil) yes. Deputy - James Porterfield Phone 72203 Summer Institute to be evaluated by Dr. Wm Monel. Ford Foundation - Book Court, Victoria Rd., Karachi 3. Representative. Mrs. Haldre/Hansen ) no Phone 51679 Assistant - Mr. Donald C. Seleng Dr. G. Schimmel.
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Stubbins, R. 1963 Assani Trip Karachi Jan. 18 Embassy Ambassador - Walter P. McConaghty. Deputy Chief of Mission - Wm. O. Hall. Economic Section - Arthur Bauman U.S.I.S (In the Chancellory). Dr. Jack Bryan - Phone: 5-5081/435. Tied in with education here. Call mm. at 2ee. On Fulbright board. Peace Corps Karachi Embassy Mrs. Shannon - available most any time. U.S. Educational Foundation in Pakistan 83/1, N.I. Jinnah, H Gordon Rd. Phone 7-0335 & 7-0338. Director: John Allen Smith. PANS DOC - Branch of PSIR - Scientific paper Documentation Center. For small sum gather scientific data. Sponsored by UNESCO. Jamia College - Malir, beyond air- pnt. Trying to encourage Muslim educational development that started in India to integrate science into curriculum. Teacher training institute, degree college, intermediate college, secondary school, primary & kindergarten.
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17 Jan. 18 Karachi Car Nic - Akbar Ali - Phone 52051 - 50 rupia (#10) for day 8:00am - 8:00 p.m. A few odd words since arriving in Karachi: A gratuity is a "baksheesh." A "Mullah" is a Muslim status religious leader who calls the people to prayer. They call from towers, now with the aid of loud speakers. Calling occurs 4 or 5 times a day at which times the devote spread out their pray rugs and face Mecca. There is less of this now how- ever in the cities. I have noted the call at 5:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. It is a long wailing sound that rises & falls in pitch. Rate of exchange here about like at Delhi with money here equivalent to Indian rupees. No naye paisa, just paise. At Palace Hotel I got $2.40 rupees for #20. I believe the payments tried to cheat me. He counted out 90 rupees then sat back. I stood waiting at the windows. He then gave me the rest. Mr. Tinker said there were 30-40 colleges and over 100 government and private schools in Karachi area. In E Pakistan about 90% of the schools are private. In West Pakistan about 60%. Dr. Mrs. B.B. Qureshi, the wife of the AID Educational Adviser is Principal of the Government Intermediate College for girls
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Stubbs, R. 1963 Ascain Trip 78 Karachi Jan. 18 Grades 11-12. - Frere Rd. The 4th Annual Science Fair ended just a few weeks ago. Siddeique involved. Like Delhi this place swarms with kites (Chali), term also used here, and the gray-mantled crow. There is less respect for bird life, however. The tricycle taxis are here, very neatly decorated with plastic colored patterns and bright paint. Dr. Timber says that they're dangerous - many accidents. The countryside is absolutely flat in the city. The climate is dry - I think Timber said = 6-10 inches of rain a year - when Monsoon came in June. Sun rises & sets without few cloud effects during the dry season. I've seen bands of sheep & goats, marked with colored dyes. Jan. 19 Picked up by James Potafield of A.I.D. Spent some time at his office talking about my mission. He is not very happy with his post. He's concerned with the widespread dishonesty of the people which may have bearing on science teaching. Potafield got his degree at Calif. He's been in Karachi 10 mos. Was an attractive wife & 2 baby girls. Lived in a modern tub-style home. Very nice.
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Jan. 19. He told about AID's summer Institute program which is in its 4th gen. They brought out 6 men last year & will bring same number this year. Institutes last 6-8 weeks & deal mostly in science. Topics always include English and have included chemistry, biology and geology. Also may have work in political science, economics and political services. One foreigner & two Pakistanis head up institute sections. Schools break down into Primary, Secondary, Intermediate & College. Learnt Learnt about women's dress. The "Borka" hangs over face & most of body. The "Shalwar" is the pants. The "Kameez" is the skirt. My spelling here is phonetic. Many women no longer cover their faces. Got a picture of a group of camel carrying camel grass. A lady was sweeping the street behind them. Ortufeld drove me out to the new University site 12 mi' from Town near the airport. Spreading campus, described by a freshman and looks it. Housing units in series from "lowly" students to faculty & built according, must native growth on campus -
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80 Karachi Jan. 17 mesquite like tree, great rounded cactus clumps (look like rat-tail cactus we saw U.S.), grass, a large willow weed - 6-8 ft. high. A grass fire was blackening a nice patch near some of the building. Ideal outdoor laboratory here with numerous birds (I saw some 10 species in 10 min. without careful search), lizards (not seen), etc. Colorful flags among "mesquite" at one place designated as place where saint lived or died, according to Patfield. All buildings have numerous openings - a naturally air conditioned. Barancas suggested Badlands & parts of New Mexico. The University was in session. The men mostly wore black academic gowns - no tight pants. On way back to see town saw samples of water logging and saltern problems. Water table very high, avaggravated by canal deploy of water from Indus, farther north. At many points water stands at surface. Used my water bottle, incidentally - It is brackish. So much water in soil crops do not do well there is
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Jan. 19: a plan to put down wells & pump water out to Julius. Evaporation results in salt being deposited near x at soil surface, also bad for plant growth. Vegetable growing area in outskirts J town. The big black water buffalo is a key animal in lives of people. It provides milk (and I guess meat) and fuel. The cow pie "patty cake" industry was seen nearly everywhere. The dung is gathered in rounded piles, then patted into flat cakes 8" across x 1" thick at center, spaced out to dry in close formation, stacked in groups of 2 or 3 on edge, leaning together to aid further drying, then loaded on carts & sold as fuel. At one place there were about 50 animals & the cow pies were spread out over an area 30 x 200 yds. Evidently only the women make the pies and it starts early. A baby
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Slobin B 1963 82 Ocean Trip. Karachi Jan. 17 perhaps 3-4 years old was seen playing with great energy. The men do the waving - lucky fellows. After a pleasant lunch at Batesfield's, drove out in his Volkswagen bus to garbage dump near a place called the honey moon house (a house name of the few hills here) not far from the great- sprawling Jinnah Hospital. Here I got marvelous shots of huge black vultures, so gorged they couldn't could scarcely fly, smaller scavenging pos birds of several kinds, some apparently the young of the black species, pye dogs, and bites. Great wheeling column of bites numbering perhaps 300 birds was moving over an area of brackish pools but they drifted too fast for a picture. Several fights were seen among the vultures and dogs. People also climb about through the garbage. Went to Mrs. Tinkins for dinner. Arrived early so walked out across the mud flats near his home. The soil was pretty well dried out at the surface and cracked underfoot. Two camels were feeding in low-growing mangrove (?) growth. These plants are perhaps 3-4 ft. high here. Had been told the walking feel, Persophthalium
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'63 Jan. 19 is here. Saw ant hills. How can the ants tolerate the waterlogged ground. Must f the hills were higher than the surrounding surfaces and perhaps the burrows to not go deep. Saw a red dragonfly about 1 ½" long, resembling those seen in Calif., a lizard tracks or elevated areas f fine white sand, the skeleton f a cancer crab 4" wide. I'm told there are sand dunes in the area. Saw several clumps of salicornia (?) Spent evening in the Tinker palace-like residence (2 stories high). This area is the "Belair" of Karachi. Industrialists, businessmen, politicians, etc. have homes here. One industrialist put up gaudy tent and lights for his son's wedding. It must have cost thousands f rupees and there whole thing lasted only 2 hrs. The president (Kahn) attended. The Tinkers showed my slides f their trip to Alaska - Wilmington, Delaware & Anchorage, by private plane - they both fly and their oldest boy is also a good pilot. [Tonight's the University trip - the country site suggests New Mexico or Arizona. The big mill used was]
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Stubbs, R. 1963 84 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 20 Day spent in picture taking, both movies and stills. Went out with movie ticketer, the young lawyer and a driver from the Asia Foundation in a microbus (Volkswagen). Excellent for photography because front wind- shield could be lifted and I could shoot out the front with nothing to obstruct the view. Jim Otefield turned our car and driver (at no cost) for the day. Went first to the railroad station. Photographed people getting off the train. Many types and great variety of dress. People seen carrying suitcases, bed clothing, etc. on top their heads. Finally a policeman sent us on our way, saying the station master objected. We then went to the docks where I got shots of sailboats. It was Sunday and people were taking rides for pleasure. After leaving Monte said with a grin, that it was a restricted area. Went to a place called Dhoib Ghat where hundreds of native men and women were washing clothing. The site is along a broad water course surrounded by sand lands. A strip of green follows the stream and a crazy quilt of sheets, etc. white, red and all colors was spread
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Jan. 17 out on the ground for 1/4 - 1/2 mile. Ran up one of clotheslines strung with Garmets, sheets and other articles of cloth were seen. The clothing fluttered in the morning breeze. Concrete troughs and sloping trays were the washing units. The clothes were dunked in the troughs and then wrung out and slapped, with a very- one over-the-head movement against the tray. The place is in an extremely poverty stricken part of town with hordes of ragged dirty people. When I tried to give a camel caravan driver 4 rupee, a small boy snatched the money and soon there were 20 children fighting for the coin.
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Stobnic, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 20 Sent Moni and the driver JF with 16 rupees for lunch. They saw us over two snake charmers. It cost me 6 rupees to get a picture of the charmer squatting on the sand and playing his pipe. The sound suggested bag pipes. The cobra (black in color) was in a little basket 10" diam. by 3-4" deep. When the charmer took off the lid and hit and the animal with closed his foot first, the snake would rise and spread its hood. There was little swaying. Several times it struck ineffectually. I understand the mouth is sewed closed. The man wanted more money but we sent him JF. He said he charged 2 rupees to Pakistanis and 10 rupees to Americans. The other "charmer" had a mongoose & python. A flight of a cobra and mongoose may take an hour, so I decided to miss that one. I took a camel ride - not very smooth. When the animal ran I about got the wind knocked out of me. Getting up and down was like a pleasant. The driver complained over 1 rupee pay but I was told by my hosts that I should not pay more. At 2:15 p.m. headed back toward
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21 Jan. '50 turn for more pictures. Monis is a handsome, dark- statured black-haired fellow. He said today was a great day for him. He had just gotten a raise of $130 peries a month and [illegible] was having a great time helping me take pictures. I asked him if he had a girl. He said Pakistanis do *not have girls like we do in the U.S. When marriage time approaches, a girl's parents are given a photo of the boy and his credentials by the boy's parents. The girl decides if she is interested. The #boy tells his parents what kind of girl he wants. Monis had requested
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 20. After assorted photographs in town, including a group of fellows with water-filled goat skin bags, we drove to the refugee camp about 8 miles SE(?) of town. These people have come into the country since partition, when most Muslims left India. Here we got shots of water buffalo, cattle and some "putty-cake". Our driver does not hesitate to crossing off the road and across country to help me get pictures. Returned to my hotel about 4:30 p.m. after a truly wonderful day. Postscript - Monis has been through the school system here. It goes as follows: Primary (4-8 yrs. age), Secondary (8-12), higher secondary (or intermediate) (12-16), college (16-20), university (20-22). Matriculation is at the end of the higher secondary. Performance on the exam determines whether a student may go on to the university. Primary and secondary school children all must take "general science". In college students going into medicine take chemistry and biology, those going into physics or engineering take physics and math. Monis told me the tree I have considered to be a strangler fig is called "peepul".
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Jan. 20 This should be excellent country for field work in biology. In the outskirts of town is wonderful reptile country and interesting desert plants & insects. Birds are plentiful in both town & country. There must be fossiliferous rocks. Incidentally, the English sparrow is here in the city. A new natural gas field has been discovered, which is regarded as a great boom. Not far from the refugee camp at Korangi, I saw an oil refinery with a tall stack with a gas flame, burning In the outskirts one sees occasional cases of what looks like a date palm. Oranges are common in the market places. In India we found they called Tangerine's, oranges. There follow a few comments by Jim Patfield. Jim is a youthful person, perhaps 28-30 yrs. old. He mentioned Morrel J when I have written earlier. An MA here - an inferior AB, Asia Foundation summer seminar - Pakistan association of Scientists and Science Professors involved. Started out as labor union group. There was fear the organization might be taken over by the communists, hence labor union aspect deemphasized. Organization runs science fair here.
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Stubniz, R. 1963 Asia Trip Karachi Jan. 20 A subcommittee of science education has been formed. It is chaired by Dr. Nagir Ahmed who is rather ineffectual. The committee has arranged popular lectures in several cities. If organization becomes effective and healthy, Asia Foundation will support it. The foundation has been trying to get PSSC and BSCS materials introduced. Sharif is the impediment. When report of Commission on HIG Education was accepted (essentially) and 3 year college program was instituted. At the beginning of the 3rd year of the program students revolted. Evidently want easier educational program. President Kahn came into office in 1958 - by usurping power. Country was put under martial law. He introduced a new constitution in 1962. [illegible] does not feel the people are communist oriented yet at the same time they don't want to be dependent on U.S. aid. Much of our aid is designed for long term benefit - such as development of resources and its effect is not readily seen by common man. Karachi is [illegible] to a considerable extent a refugee city. It went from 250,000 population in 1945-47 to its present 2 1/2 - 3 million. Natural increase is also very high.
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Jan. 21 Off at 8:45a.m. to AID to meet with Dr. Quraishi (pronounced Qwar'eshi) on arranging my schedule. Since Quraishi was somewhat involved in another matter his secretary, Mr. Mohammad Habib Rehman, helped out. The latter proved to be a most helpful, frank young man. He pulled no punches concerning his country and was much interested in what I had to say about the world population problem. Through him and my driver (loaned by the Embassy) I learned that some 9 million refugees had come to Pakistan from India since partition. I learned the following numerical terminology: 1 lakh = 100,000; 100 lakh = [illegible] 1 crore; 1 crore = 1 arab; 1 kharab = 100 arab. (accent on last syllable - ar'ab'). The driver said a dam is being built on the Indus that will cost in rupees, 1 arab. It is going in near the Jalal district of Punjab. Three or 4 others are to go in later. He said that W. Pakistan had good land, ranking 5th or 6th in the world in fertility but water is a big problem. Q.H.K. Visited Major Bakhtiar, Chairman, Board of Intermediary and Secondary Education; he was [illegible] of the Secondary School Board at Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society College PECHS. He was a man in his late 40s or early 50s, polite but reserved and rather formal, no doubt a reflection of his military experience. A Mr. Siddiqui, [illegible] sat in on our conversation.
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Stebbins R. 1963 Asian Trip Kanochi Jan. 25 Bakhtiani gave me 1 hr. & then said he had to excuse himself for another meeting. At times his mind seemed to drift off the subject at hand and I seemed less able to get across the nature of music than I have with other people interviewed at higher levels. He seemed most interested in stressing need for equipment and classroom space. He pointed out that they were on double shift, each shift 4+ hrs., and that classes of 40-60 students were common. There could be little individual attention to students. I stressed the desirability of working with native plants outdoors and the value of field trips that stressed careful observation and quantification. He wrote himself a note to the effect that this could be tried and urged that I send him a guide material I might develop along this line. I described how I had been experimenting with simple measurements of plant growth, plotting of plant distributions in quadrats, with children outdoors, to help them get sense the point of view of the scientist and indicated that our "guide lines" document was designed to encourage use of both the indoor and outdoor laboratory in science teaching. He asked that I
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"Jan. 20 and him a copy of 'guide book' for review. and also that I provide him with a statement as to the purpose of my trip. He evidently has in mind some publicity concerning my visit. He said he had been in the U.S. on a Leader exchange program in 1956. He pointed out that the Pakistan Curriculum Committee Report on Secondary Education had stressed the importance of science training in the secondary schools, and that it had recommended that it be compulsory from grades 3 to 10 and thereafter elective. However, either a shortage of teachers or equipment (or both) in some areas. led to making science optional in some areas. Teachers of science may have a professional course for 9 mos. and may receive the teacher training from a Teacher training institution which provides them with experience in methods of teaching. Bakhtiar then again returned to the great need for additional space and equipment and said these shortages led to stress on theoretical side of science. Mr. Siddiqui suggested it would be helpful if, as a result of my trip, a comparative survey of South & Southeast Asian education could be prepared and circulated. He said They would be most interested in such a report. I visited Dr. Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui, Chairman of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
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Stebbin, R. 1963 84 Ocean Trip Karachi Jan. 20 He is a heavyset, short, broad faced, kindly gentleman in his sixties, I should say. He listened attentively to my description of "guidelines" and expressed much interest in receiving a copy for study. He thought it would be most useful and that although somewhat outside his area of activity would do what he could to encourage its use. An alert, bearded, young physicist was present throughout, Dr. M.M. Qureshi, who is head of the physics division. He has a PhD & DSC and sounded like an Englishman, although a dark-skinned Pakistani. He seemed very excited by the approach of "guidelines". These men are both interested in popularizing science and are involved in the publication of a magazine called "Science Chronicle", copies of which they promised to send me. Qureshi writes books for 4-10 year olds and was much interested in my description of the "tooth pick caterpillar" game I devised to introduce the concept of natural selection to 5th graders. They told me of PASSP - Pakistan Assoc. of Science and Science Professors, 39 Garden Rd., Karachi. At the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research headquarters where I visited Siddiqi, there are a number of buildings grouped about a quad. Several
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Dr. Kloon Vajorpala Zool., Entomol. Sharanwat Devakula Microbiol. Med. J. Biol.-Sig. Mrs. Punnee Buddhare Dept. Bot. Sunthorn Surisamanekern Entomol. [Panez Theovanich] Embryol. JANOPAS. Mrs. Miss Pajane Charupakorn Dr. Kamhaeng Balankura Sect. General Natl. Education Council- Dr. Kasin Sirivatcharakul
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Oradit Cheosabul Deputy Sect.-general Natl Research Council. Chulalongkorn Univ. Panee Chiowanich BSCS Suppanondha Keludat Harvard Physicist Science Society Thammasart Univ. Ask Science Fair now reality?
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Science Refresher Course - 10 days, physics, chem, bio. Natl Science Council Sumic Sr. Gabian J. Lucas and Founders
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Jan. 21 continued horses and were devoted to veterinary research. Another was involved in drug research. Mr. Reisman explained the custom of the covering of the women. The prophet Mohammed urged it to prevent sexual lust and attack. Reisman said he would probably be in bed standing if a religious leader heard him say that but I believe it is true. Women are uncovering their faces by stages. Some now expose the eyes, some the eyes a more, and some the full face. I have seen some "borkas" with two square "windows" covered with netting to permit vision. Others may have a single broad "window". Some borkas are white, some black. In the afternoon I visited the Government Intermediate College for Women on Freie Rd. a few miles from my hotel. Mrs. Oarashi is the principal. She is a sweet, graying women of 45-50, of gentle and dignified bearing, stocky in build. She did her PhD on a grain insect and is a biologist with a Cornell orientation toward field biology. She spoke with enthusiasm of Dr. Wright, Hamilton, Racey and others at Cornell. She has gone on bird trips with Allen. She has written science books for children and has one which describes how they may go to a pond outdoors,
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Karachi Jan. 21 collect sample plants & animals and set them up in the laboratory in an aquarium. We found we had much in common with respect to our educational view point. She agreed fully that much can be done in science by a good teacher even without equipment. There are 605 girls in the school, dressed in green, black & white uniforms. All stand whenever the principal walks by. The girls were all dark haired, dark skinned, dark-eyed and most were slender. Grades are 11 & 12. Both the arts and sciences are represented. Girls in "science" take physics or engineering and end up, if successful as medical people or teachers. They must have 1st division marks (60% a min) to go on to the university. The art block of the college offers home economics, geography and math, as an elective. The Science block - physics, chemistry, biology, and math. When a woman finishes in physics she can go on to the univ. for honors course. The school gives a diploma on completion but students may go on in the degree college, located in the same school for a BSc in science or an AB in the arts. The degree college operates in the morning. Those who only get a diploma in science may work as lab technicians or assistants.
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Jan. 20 BSc people can teach science. Some students go into medicine after receiving the BSc. There is a trend to teach science in Urdia, When I asked to what extent the schools emphasize quantification and measurement, she gave me the answer I have heard repeatedly -- many schools are not well equipped. The outdoor laboratory approach is limited by transportation problems. Visited laboratories which began work at 4:00 pm. Zool. lab. Synoptic collection of animals representing major taxonomic groups. Many from Turtlex lab were recently obtained locally. Local fish, sepia, insecta, reptiles, etc. have been obtained. Uromastix is dissected as a representative lizard type for BSc. Saw a few stuffed local birds and a cobra but all were mounted badly. College started in 1949 and at first depended on outside (foreign) sources. Now local dealers are preparing plaster models of organs (heart, etc.) dissections, etc. Saw plaster frog and rabbit dissections. Flexibly killed guinea are dissected. Saw a jar full of live leeches to be used in study. The school has a collector who goes after material. The approach in zoology appears to be morphological & taxonomic but a good feature is the use of local
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 21 arrived. Also visited the botany lab where I saw preserved marine algae, fair & grain & other seeds. The children are taken on field trips and are encourage to write ecological notes but they often get carried away by collecting and so less about the notes. Also visited the physics lab & observed the girls working with magnets and ampers to plot lines I face. In the chemistry lab, the teacher put on some fireworks which she is preparing for some program coming up. Again there were many dust covered bottles with aging labels suggesting little use. The room was poorly lighted. The arrangement of work benches was as noted in the school in Delhi. The chemistry & physics labs, visited were large -- perhaps 60-70 ft. x 40 ft. The life science labs were smaller. A long hall-way like walk area induced each lab and was set up by a solid wall with doors at intervals. This hallway was well lighted by a long bank of windows and a continuous length workbench ran the length of the "hall". Sinks were spaced at intervals along the other side of the
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Jan. 21 (Zar hall = 50) hall. Lecture rooms seated 50 + students. & there seemed to be ample blackboard space. A large auditorium was seen which could be darkened for movies. A student lounge with colorful couches and a table tennis arrangement was seen. Nearly all rooms were painted white inside, I presume to help illumination. No towels or aquaria were seen. A great flock of the gray mottled crow was seen in the quad. When I suggested they would make a good study, Mrs. Guaraishe said the girls would not be interested because such a study would not apply to their exams. There are two exam papers in zoology - one on vertebrate & one on invertebrates. There are "internal" & "external" questions. The University sets the standards of the "external" exam. The student is given 4 or 5 questions to write an on 3 hrs. Usually he has a selection of questions. There are also practical "external" & "internal" exams. When an exam - is given, a university person,
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Hutchins R 1963 Ocean Trip Karachi Jan. 21 the teacher and a supervisor administer the exam. Internal exams for upper classes count 25%. They consist of written tests and tutorials, the latter oral reports to class teacher. I asked Mrs. Qurrashahi about the "Mullah". She said the caller is called a "Mozan" and the call for prayer "Azan". In the evening I went to Wm. O. Halla's residence, Deputy Chief of Mission, for a party. The affair was for military personnel - all high brass - air force, navy, army, evidently U.S. people brought from London to this area for familiarization with the Ocean setting -- I presume, should the command shift to this area. Some 50 people present - all men. Only about 5% were local military, including some Pakistanis. Met a Capt C. B. Collins, U.S.N., who had had WW II experience on a destroyer, He was sunk at The Solomons & lost over 50 men. His son is interested in math and is in the American school - a boy of 15. Collins is on the school board. (Home phone 40833; Nice 20041/33).
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Jan. 21 Mr. Hall is hopeful I will be able to visit the Karachi Grammar School. Mr. Dolman is Principal. Hall's address is No.3, Golf Club Rd., Karachi. Met a Mr. McDonald of AID who agrees with the quantification approach to secondary school science, involving use of larger groups in areas such as Karachi. The Educational Commission Report states that religious training in the schools is to be mandatory. Reisman says the Kahu has declared math critical as essential, despite objections of religious leaders. Jan. 22 With Dr. Quraishi, I visited the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society College (PECHS), Begum Majid Malik principal. The school takes children from preschool age to the 12th grade. Mrs. Malik is a most delightful person. She is a stout woman in her late forties (?), round faced, jolly and graying. She spoke excellent English. She is obviously well liked by her staff and students. Quraishi said he always liked coming to her school because something new was always happening. Although she is not as fully trained, he said as many principals, she is the very best because she has imagination, good will
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 22 and a keen intellect. Again the children were in uniform. Both boys and girls were together. Ouraiski explained that they were separated in Pakistan schools at adolescence. The school was a two-story stone & mortar building still in the process of construction, built around a quad, recently planted to wire (?) grass. Some classes have been studying archeology and trips have been made to excavation sites along the Indus. Plaster casts have been made of artifacts. Visited the science laboratories in chem, physics, botany, and zoology. In physics lab saw careful drawings of Wheatstone bridge, and other circuits. The students were working on problems in electricity and were studying in pairs. Table tops were of plastic, there were plenty of balances. The lab. was perhaps 60-70 ft. x 30-40 ft. Wall cabinets contained presses, and a variety of physical apparatus. There was a static electricity machine. The lab. and its physical composition seemed to be at a high level. The chemistry lab. was of similar size. Bunsen burners were in use and the chemical containers looked newer & as though the lab were in more use
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Jan. 22 then in other schools visited. Work books were in good condition. In the zoology lab., 50 x 30 ft. (?), the students were completing drawings in their notebooks. One girl was stippling a drawing of an amoeba but was not examining a specimen. I gain the impression that stress is on art rather than direct study of animals. There were many excellent drawings. Each student had & printed syllabus which guided by questioning, an understanding of animal morphology. The students start with vertebrates and then go to invertebrates. They study the structure of a variety of representative types - rabbit, frog, pigeon, earthworm, cockroach, etc. An exercise at the parts of a microscope was seen. Labours, & carefully executed drawings had been prepared - shaded and labelled. Their bright young teacher [illegible] said that function was covered in lectures - structure in the lab. Pakistan animals are used. Local firms had made plaster models of frog dissection, life history stages of the frog, & large number of wall charts were seen, many of which were foreign manufacture. There were wall displays of foreign butterfly life histories (in colr) - probably British species. A sadly stuffed pigeon, and rabbit were seen and the principal said they had a person who does this sort of thing and she wants the students to learn the technique.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 104 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 22 The botanical laboratory was along similar lines - stress on drawing and structural and taxonomic aspects. Their teacher did say, however, that the classes go into the field and collect & write notes. Plant specimens mounted on cardboard and covered with cellophane were seen. Locality data were lacking in precision, however. Botanical specimens preserved in formalin were seen. Stress is on the local flora. Visited an art class. The children were working in pencil and were learning shading. A group of small children in the same room were cutting and pasting colored paper mockups of human figures. In the school yard was a group of 10-12 children being taught to play flutes. This school seems to stress the aesthetic aspect of life. A study of weaving is being started. Mr. Malik did say, however, that she was planning to set up some live animal exhibits. In aquaria n tenaria were seen. In the library I saw copies of "The Young Obasuna" by M. Martindale A. Allcott and "Nature Rambles" by M. Martindale. I suspect that this is one of the top schools in the country.
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Jan. 28 Ourarishi urged that I write Mrs. Malick a letter I thanks. We went next to the New Town School, a girls school. The medium of instruction is Urdu. Ourarishi feels that science should be taught in the native tongue because the children think in their native language and thus gain a better grasp I conceive, etc. Mrs. Mumtaz was in hand to receive us and several sweet girls 12-13 yrs. old, one a very bright youngster - the president of the student body. We were presented [illegible] flowers for our lapel. Again we visited classrooms and the single all purpose lab which handles, chem, physics, and biology. A chemistry class was in action. The girls were dressed in colorful uniforms of varied style.. The girls assembled in the auditorium, sitting on the floor. I was formally introduced and asked to talk to them. I stressed the point that science studies need not require fancy equipment and that much science can be done outdoors with birds, insects, plants by applying measurement techniques. Dr. [illegible] Ourarishi followed in Urdu and I presumed helped clarify my points. These Pakistani girls darken the edges of their eyelids and often put a black line a line that turns upward at an angle. Sometimes a fairly broad area of the lower lid is darkened. We were shown "science fair" projects -
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Stibbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip Karachi Jan. 27 a cardboard house with burglar alarm, a don bell buzzer made from coil of copper wire and a nail, and other electrical geartry. Some blown egg shells with drawings of animals depicted evolutionary stages – a cardboard man stood in the center surrounded by the shells. Not much true science here. We stopped off at the Central Bureau of Education, Ghafoor Chamber, Victoria Rd., director M.M. Hasan. He would like a copy of “guidelines” for evaluation. Graphs in Mr. Hasan’s office showed the number of primary schools in Pakistan to be about 45000 in 1959 and the number of secondary schools to be 6000+. Primary school enrollment was 45 lakhs + secondary 13 lakhs (1959). Ourarishi commented that the teachers have such heavy loads that their energies are drained and they have little time to mature to become imaginative in their teaching. Many are distracted by worries. He feels the educational system must think in terms of the average, not the ideal teacher. I then went to the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Education and
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Jan. 22 Information, Education Division, to see Mr. Wali M. Zaki who is responsible for the development of science education in Pakistan. Zaki is a man in his late 20's or early 30's, efficient, intelligent. I found him one of most valuable contacts thus far. He had skimm[ed] through "guidelines". He is completing his PhD work under Water[man] at Harvard. All requirements have been completed, including defense of his thesis. He is now writing up his results. He has made a survey of science teaching in Pakistan. Of particular interest to him has been the effect of religion on attitudes toward science. He spent a year at Stanford under a Shell Oil grant. He worked there under Paul Wurd[en] in 1960. He certainly has the point of view toward science that we wish to see developed and which is emphasized by "guidelines" He feels the "guidelines' manual will be of great value to Asians but to be successful it will have to be tied in with specific programs. The U.S. has more uniformity in its approach to science than Asia. Books, teachers, socio-economic background or children all have more in common than in Asia. There is great variety in Asia. The manual may be too sketchy & too broad but Zaki stressed that he had given it only a cursory examination. Perhaps there will need to be several versions. Pontek tried to write a science series for all tropical countries and I gather (by implication) that they were not very successful. However, as I pointed out to Zaki, "guidelines" presents recommendations on procedure, not [illegible] so much specific
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Stelma, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Karachi Jan. 27 topics to be studied as did the British series. He did feel, however, that we should slim down the size of the manual. Stressing the shortage of satisfactory science teachers, Zaki pointed out that there are 2000 high schools in Pakistan and only 300-400 qualified science teachers. There would be teachers with a BSC and a Bachelor of Education (BED) degree. The remaining teachers are unqualified. As mentioned Zaki has measured the science understanding of Pakistan teachers. He showed me sample questions used in the test. Part of his test was drawn from a U.S. survey; the rest he derived. Results were analyzed by computers in the U.S. His sample included 25% of all science teachers in Pakistan and all the science teachers in the teacher training colleges. One of his most important findings was that in general religious people have little grasp of science and science oriented people are usually not religious. Since religion is mandatory in the schools, this will work adversely affect the progress of science teaching. New teachers are more religious than older ones, according to his survey. This result at first seemed surprising but it is a consequence of the fact that there has been some 15 years of formal religious indoctrination in the schools.
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109 Jan. 22. The country is faced with a serious dilemma. It will fall apart without religion, Zaki feels, yet religion will impede scientific and technological progress. The Islamic part on religion is the one thing that binds the people. Without it the Nation would disintegrate, Zaki feels the only way out of the dilemma may be a watering down of religious dogma. An example of how religion can bar progress is the attitude religious leaders have on birth control. An objective scientific evaluation leads to the conclusion that the health of the society demands a reduction in births, yet religion says "no". I asked if scientists, educators, and secondary school teachers were beginning to collaborate in efforts to elevate the level of science teaching as has been happening in the U.S. Zaki said "no" but that he was trying to get such collaboration going with the help of the Asia Foundation & provincial governments. He spoke of them (collaboration groups) as "cells" He is obviously very familiar with BSSC & PSSC work. Indeed, he has worked with Zacharias at MIT. I am coming to feel that one of the most effective things for the United States to do to help Asian science education is to bring high quality young Asians to the U.S. for training in science education. Jan. 23. Visited the Sind Madrasah School. Nazir Wazasin, principal. This is a boys school that covers 5-10th grade. The enrollment is over 120. AID is putting money here to encourage diversification in teaching - shop work & other
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Stelbois, R. 1968 Oscar Trip Karachi Jan. 23 technical training. Mr. Clon and a Mr. [illegible] Harkie, formerly of Bakersfield, Calif., came along to see how AID money was being spent. No lab. work given at present in biology - only theoretical presentation - lectures & blackboard drawing which the boys copy. One wonders how worthwhile such an approach is. Teachers put on demonstrations. School on tight lab schedule. One large, poorly lighted laboratory. Half class working in chemistry & half physics. A student puts in lab time in both courses each week - 1 1/2 hrs. Economy dictates such simultaneous use. Lab. going almost continuously. Fluorescent lights mounted high overhead where rather ineffective. Windows with scaling black paint. Very gloomy atmosphere. Lecture part from separated from lab. by storage cabinets. Main blackboard area at back of classroom, blinds fixed desks. This is academically one of best schools in area. 90% of the boys pass their board exam. Saw also typing class, class in electricity, and woodworking tools. A garden area was seen which the boys use as a "lobby". The boys paint rooms, do electric wiring, construct work benches, thus contribute to the physical plant. The school has a very large central quad. It is located in a
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II Jan. 23 busy part of the city, hence the large playground is much appreciated. Visited Dr. M.A.H. Qadri, chairman, Dept. of Zool., Univ. of Karachi, 12 mi. N of town. Also met Dr. M. Tufail, a marine ecologist, Dr. M.H. Qazi, a vertebrate zoologist and physiologist who did work at Louisiana State and who knew Fred Cagle, Dr. M. Ahman an Entomologist, and Dr. Hamid Mahmood a systematic entomologist who studied at North Carolina State. Qazi, a tall, dark, handsome young man has asked for my botanical reprints. Dr. Qadri, perhaps in his middle 50's, grayish, slender, crooked, spaced teeth, mustache, slow, sniffing speech showed me about the museum. Many stuffed animals - rhino head to cassowary, preserved snakes & lizards of Pakistan, game birds of Pakistan, marine life, plaster models, etc., in hall 250' x 100', well lighted - many windows. Qadri has gotten a wild patch of the campus set aside. His main interest is in desert ecology. He identified the large acacia as Acacia arabica and the cactus- like plant (not-too-cactus-like) as Euphorbia ondifolia. It has a milky sap. They also have several species of mosquito. All men seemed interested in the "guidelines" approach and hoped I would send a copy for review.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Karachi Jan. 23 On returning to Karachi saw a koo poo; also sheep & goats chewing on desert vegetation. Qadri explained that Pakistan was rich in variety of flora and fauna. It is situated at the juncture of the Ethiopian and Oriental Faunal Regions and also gains elements from the Palaeartic. He pointed to a north-south ridge to the west and said it marked the line between the two main faunas. The desert results from the fact that the area, of low relief and somewhat out of the main flow of moist air, is missed by the Monsoons. During the Monsoon season, clouds may pass over but little rain falls. The mountainous areas to the NE (the Himalayan system) and along the west coast of India get the rain. The area of heaviest rainfall in the world is said to be in Assam. Qadri remarked that the U.N.L. Commission on Education had introduced general science as a requirement in the secondary schools, yet there are no suitable books. He said that at the Univ. all students are likewise required to have general science. In the evening I had dinner at Jim Portfields'. Present were Dr. M. Tufail, the marine ecologist, Mr. Wali Zaki, Mr. Broadhurst, a Briton and UNESCO man.
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13 Jan 23 Tufail proved to be a soft-spoken, unceremy man who was dominated in conversation by the talkative, outspoken Zaki. Tufail however, held his ground on important issues. Zaki made it clear he felt our approach to introducing "guidelines" was unrealistic because there had been no chance for people to study the report in advance. He also feared I would return with recommendations based on inadequate sample information. He lamented the fact I had not seen country schools, but rather, had been shown the showpieces. He remarked that my trip was typical of American surveys. He said, "They send out experts that make a quick survey and write reports and do not do intensive work to look help at teachers and equipment" (This quote is a liberal quote from memory). Equipment obviously looms large in his mind, although at one time he did say good teachers come first. I spent most of my time describing what I have been trying to do in the field with virtually no equipment, hoping to get across the point that children can learn the scientific approach without getting. Brockhurst said it was a "must" (before I write my report) to see a UNESCO report on Technical Equipment and Curriculum for Science Studies (6 volumes). I failed to mention that I visited the Karachi American School, Mr. R. Marlow, principal and made recommendations on laboratory equipment & projects. They are updating and hope to improve their facilities for biological science.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Karachi Jan. 23 Capt. C. Bradford Collins is on the school board. Mr. Hall has a youngster in the school, hence both men were interested in having a biologist look in at the situation. Jan. 24 Capt. Collins drove me about town for movie shots - I got vultures & crows in flight, a young girl scavenging for food in the garbage dump, donkey carts, madmen dwellings, some "patty-cake" camels, etc. We had lunch at his beautiful home after which we went to the market place (Emperess Market) - fish, meat, fruit, dates, etc. We visited a Parsi grave yard (religious group). These people "bury" their dead above ground and allow the vultures and varmied lizards pick the remains. In the "modern" grave yard were large circular tanks of mortar & stone (?) white washed, & open at the top. Vultures and g[illegible] crows sat around the rim of the tanks. These people believe that fire is the only thing that is pure and they try to keep a fire burning in their dwellings. Most of these people live in the Bombay area.
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115 Jan. 24 [illegible]
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Stebbe, R. 1963 Air Trip Karachi - Delhi Jan. 24 Left Karachi International Airport at 3:45 p.m. Flight time to Delhi to be 2 hrs. & 25 mins., flying at 17000 ft. Plane warm, reward suit cool. 4:00p.m. Flying over much deserted Tan-colored desert land of low relief. General drainage direction to SW. A few green water courses as we left airport - Indus River (delta region). Even in this arid country are patches of cultivated land (dark brown) and a few green fields. An occasional winding river course is seen with water but most are dry (4:05p.m.). Pattern of cultivated fields following dry drainage channels; marked off by tree (or bush) growth on down slope side, gently sloping land to SE below barren or deserted ridge to NW. We are crossing the Thar or Indian Desert. The growth forms 4:15 pm. Crossing river Indus at 1700 ft, 350 m.p.h. Will reach Delhi 6:15 pm. (5:45 pm standard time). Now great patchwork of farms; 50% green, rest shades of brown (crazy quilt arrangement). Large canal & many smaller ones make possible this irrigated sector. Blue haze. "Blow onto"(sandy)
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Jan. 24th have variously erased since I fields. 4:25pm. Edge I and land; abandoned farms. Blue haze appears to be smoke. Several smoke columns now evident. Number SSW ridges W and country but many large pods near river. Water with high salt content? No farms here but present along river nearby. Pods confined to vicinity of river. Perhaps pods cased by damming, but no well defined earth work seen. We must now be over the Than or Indian Desert. 4:35pm. Now great patches I dunes (orange colored) appearing. Dune crests E-W, winded to SSW and Engratulated ridges, brown, dotted with shield plants trend SSW-NNE. Even in this and region are occasional clearing. 4:45pm. Dry looking fields beginning to appear. Dry-looking growth at edge I fields trend E-W at at L to general trend I drainage. Very dry- looking country. Village seen with trails radiating a huts evidently in group surrounded by walls. [illegible] Herdemen? SSW-NNE ridging now less definite. Mountains suprenumt to rise out of the plains. Reminds me of Arigid landscape S of the central plateau. Scattered patches I fields continue (4:150pm). Some green fields seen now. I suspect this is a goat or sheep culture. Land very dry- looking. trails huts course? fields ridges trail ridge S W S W ridges braes fields ridge
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Stobberis, R. 1963 1/8 Asian Trip Kashmir - Delhi Jan. 24 5:10 pm Passed just S of city of Jodhpur, set down in arid country. Mountains did not last long; "flat" lands continue. Cooler now; have put on my suit coat. 5:35 pm. Sun has gone down; visibility on ground poor. Beige colored flat land, arid- looking, a patchwork of fields, only 1-2 % are green & scattered. Cloudless sky but smog-like ground haze. 5:50 pm. Passing over area with scattered low mountains. Region still looks arid but visibility very poor. Arrived at the Delhi airport at 6:30 pm. Air temp. 70°F. Stayed at Nirula Hotel - very comfortable. Had dinner in Hungarian restaurant connected with hotel. Jan. 25 Left Palam Airport on Sudan Airlines flight #401 at 6:45 am. Chilly. At 7:55 am, we passed Lucknow flying at 17500 ft, air temp. outside -15°F, ground haze. I have no window seat hence can seldom see the ground. The plane is fully loaded. Arrived DumDum Airport in Calcutta at 9:45 am. One hour bus ride into town. Calcutta is a sprawling city of some 6000,000. My travelling companion, an Englishman (oil engineer) who is stationed here says 30 people die of small ppx a day and that they have had cholera epidemics.
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Jan. 25 Each time I looked down during flight, there was a smoky blue haze. Found similar conditions at Calcutta. After booking in at the Oberoi Grand Hotel (at about $15.00/day including meals), I went to the roof for some photography. Photographed sacred cattle wandering about streets in heavy traffic, rickshaw boys, native carpenters at work, over views of city. This is a smoggy place. One can see many smoke stacks belching smoke. The ride into town was depressing—noise, smog, littered streets, garbage, paper, feces, miserable human beings living in miserable shacks. Every body & water looked filthy and disease-ridden. The crow is still with us but the pale gray mantle of the Delhi animal is now almost as black as the rest of the plumage. Saw also the kite, myna, and many English sparrows. Inevitably English sparrows were seen warming their "tails" on the fluorescent lights in the airport building at Delhi, before sunrise. 8-10 birds were flitting about in and out of the building. A few sights on the way to town—water buffalo standing in large pool, being scrubbed by a man. Groped & nearly made men bathing at one of water faucets along street. Naked children. Men squatting facing buildings, urinating. Sacred cattle wandering about, lying in the streets, on sidewalks, etc., generally having the run of the place. Most are ash gray and have a hump. All I've seen so far are females. Cow dung patty cake industry; the cakes not only spread on the ground but stuck to trees walls and tree trunks.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 120 Asian Trip Calcutta Jan. 25 People lying on the sidewalk, against building, on steps, etc. Small shacks made of tin, wood and other scraps, erected on the sidewalk. A thin man sitting on a bed frame with rope "springs" (no mattress) on sidewalk in congested part of town, rubbing himself with some sort of lotion. Rickshaw-man, bicycle riders, taxis, buses - horns blowing and exhausts belching smoke. People swarming everywhere. Sidewalk barber shops - haircutting & shaving. Sidewalk wrestling, the pavement used as a scrub board. Occasional well dressed, smelled people, standing out by contrast with the rags and dirty skin of the populace. Horse- liter cart pulled by horse carrying 4 little rich girls, shielded from the squalor around them. These horse carriages carry a reserve "fuel supply" in the form of a bundle of hay, for the horse. Many rickshaws, foot & bicycle powered. From 3:30 to 4:45pm, walked about town near hotel. There is a large open area to the west where there are several sports clubs and a large grassy commons perhaps 1/4 mi. across. The Independence Day celebration is to be held here tomorrow. Many bedraggled human beings lay about in the "lawn" - actually worn out grass with much litter & scattered patches of bare soil. Around one of the clearings,
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Jan. 25 '71 was a shallow cement moat with stagnant water. This is evidently an open air sewer. I saw several & men urinating into it and about every 15-20 ft. was a human fecal mass. Cattle pies are liberally sprinkled about and the sacred cows walk down the sidewalks as if they owned the place which in a sense, they do. I had to watch my step to avoid stepping in feces or masses. I expected bottle nut. Many of the poor Indians chew this and it is a narcotic and possibly helps to care the burden of life. A beetle nut chewer is easily identified by his orange red lips and teeth. It's not hard to see why the crow is so successful. I saw one picking out edible material from a fresh deposit of human feces. Evidently about the only free-living vertebrates in town, other than the seemingly unattached cattle and flocks of pigeons are the kites, crows, vultures, and English Sparrows. There are fair numbers of dogs, goats, cats. I looked over nearly every tree I passed for insects, lizards, etc. but there was no signs of life. The leaves and branches were covered with soot and dust and the white wash streaks from numerous of crows. Their incessant sawing gets monotonous. I have never before seen such a filthy, disease-ridden place. Great piles of garbage and other debris lie along the sewer low canals. Evidently they scrape out the channels from twice to three.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Calcutta Jan. 25 Incidentally, the cows were seen drinking and bathing in the sewage channels and pecking at all kinds of litter. There is a train depot here where one may see 8-10 trains at once and as many buses - all in the open air. I saw a thin ragged Indian operating a switch by using a crowbar to shift the key rail. Some girls were found sleeping on the sidewalk. I had to detour to avoid them. A line of wash hung in the iron fence nearby. Evidently this patch of sidewalk near the train depot is 'home'. One of the girls had a large goiter. A crowd at one point was watching a sidewalk artist who was sketching with charcoal and pastels directly on the cement. Another crowd was listening to a 'John-the-Baptist' type preacher. A mounted policeman stood nearby. Another crowd had gathered around a man seated in the ground who was beating a drum. Again, a place of contrast. Inside the Grand Hotel, I live at the height of luxury, soft carpets and lights, music, the most elegant furnishings, people smartly dress. All is clean, cool, and ventilated. Outside within inches of the entrance are people in abject poverty; thin, nearly
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Jan. 25 Starving, diseased. Filth is everywhere - on the ground, in the air, on people's bodies and coating the vegetation. What a mixed up world we live in. Jan. 26 Out on roof of Grand Hotel at 8:15 am to photograph crowd scenes at Republic Day celebration. Parade only lasted about an hour. Rave out & film just as crowd began dispersing but got back in time to get what was probably peak moment. Formuleters lasted from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. Also got closeup shots of crowd, kite circling with people in background. Kite making a capture of an English Sparrow (?). One also seen with vegetable matter in beak. Nestling material? Got shots of street scenes - shot police boys, banana vendor, lunchster, banana vendor urinating, goats, etc. Saw a funeral procession. About 25 boys carrying a middle-aged man, face exposed, on a litter. The corpse was draped in white and the litter was decorated with orange crepe paper. The boys walked rapidly crying out loudly from time to time. I learned from Miss Mason that they were taking the body to a place for cremation. The bones are supposed to go into the Ganges. There are many ghats along the river Had dinner with Miss Mason and Stanley Clarke, a British T.V. man who had just completed a film on Hunger for the United Nations. Film made free of charge. Considered an idea to be asked to purchase film.
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Stella R. 1963 Asian Trip Calcutta Jan. 26 The film centers on a man in a small village. He has had to borrow money for his daughter's wedding. He then has to borrow money to keep her farm. He is perpetually in debt. He goes to the city to find work & sleeps on the street. The British company found an excellent local farmer who proved to be an excellent actor. He was put up in the Grand Hotel. The local help accepted him, although below them in rank, because they were told he was an actor. One difficulty in getting across birth control is the desire for boys. A family keeps growing until their are adequate numbers of boys; girls cost money when married off. Many children is a gnostic factor and men are not inclined to have vasectomies because they think it will impair their post-pleasure. What else is there to do in India after dark? Miss Marx (14 mo. in India) feels that education is more important than a birth control program. Latter cannot work without former although she considers that a pill with an aphrodisiac attached might work. If one hurts a cow he is in
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Jan. 26 trouble. In a recent traffic accident, Mrs Mason said a cow was seriously injured by a jeep. The driver and car occupants were set upon by angry people. More notice is taken of the death of a cow than of a person. Recently they passed an anti-bull law which has taken all the bulls off the streets. The cows remain, however. Jan. 27 - Hired a taxi for half day to take movies. Got shots of man washing clothes on sidewalk, cow pies placed on tree trunks, etc, people bathing, little girl gathering water hyacinth (?), sacred cows, man sleeping on sidewalk, street scene, white egrets & cattle, water buffalo by pool on road to airport, woman carry basket of fresh dung on her head. Saw a stick-like lizard strike through the grass at side of drainage ditch at road side near turn off to airport. This is a rural area with numerous water tanks (earthen reservoirs (?) or ponds), thatched roofs & woven glass fibers, banana trees. To return to problems of Asian education. One of my contacts has suggested that the recipe approach to science may be needed because of the rudimentary educational level with which we are dealing. Mrs Mason's address is 241 By 2 Tower Circuter Rd.
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Stebruiz, R. 1963 Asian Trip Calcutta to Bangkok Jan. 27 Left Dumdum Airport at 1:20 p.m. on Thai Met Dr. Dart at airport. International, Flight # 302. Clear and warm but somewhat smoggy. Flight over Ganges Delta, at 15,500 ft. Many meandering channels and pattern of farms indicating only channels in a constantly changing water mosaic. A moving picture frame each year would present a constant play of movement of the braided stream system and farm lands. Bumpy over these areas of wet and dry lands. As we left Ganges Delta, passed over large forest area with patches of sand and narrow white beaches. Marine turtles must breed here. A naturalists' paradise. Pass across northern part of Bay of Bengal. At distance above sharp ceiling of smog can be seen white clouds, perhaps our Himalayas. Dr. Dart says these mountains are drained along their north and south slope by a single river stream on each side. The northern one swings south around the east end and continues to near the Delta where it joins the Ganges. Traveled SSE along the west coast of Burma. N-S oriented ridges covered with abundant plant growth, virtually uninhabited. Farms confined to low-lying, level areas. 3:30 p.m. (actually 4:30) Rangoon Time. We are beginning our descent over the
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127 Rangoon Delta. It is getting busy. At Rangoon Airport, stopped for ½ hr. Beautiful garden - Bogevilla, orchids, etc. Crows, all black, with high pitched call. Airline hostess/hostess said Burma was a rich, undeveloped country - tin, teak wood, antimony, coal. Elephants used in handling teak. Wild elephants & tigers in north. Rice & others come into airstrip. Rice export is big industry. We crossed miles of rice fields, all brown. It is harvest time. Stacks of rice straw and rice seen. Some stacks had burned area around them, I suppose to protect against fires. Saw one field in flower. Numerous pagodas. Meandering streams. Teak wood logs along boulders/precipices. 5:50 pm. (local time) crossing Gulf of Martaban. So got dark, hence no further observations. Stayed in Rama Hotel but checked out next day. Too rich for me. The unit I exchange here is a "baht" or "tice" equal to about 5¢ . 20.25 baht = $1.00. @100 baht = $5.00. Jan. 28 Visited Dr. Pradiot Cheozakul (pronounced "Pradit Cheozakun", ? but it is the first name that counts here). He is Deputy Secretary-General, National Research Council, Bangkok. He has a B.Sc. (Chulalongkorn Univ., Bangkok), M.S. (Philippines) and Ph.D. (Cornell). At Cornell he got his degree in 1944 in organic chemistry with a minor in biochemistry. He is a slender man, perhaps in his 40s, he reminds me a little of Bob Kaplan.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Bengkok Jan. 28 He called to our attention the following report which he thought would be of some interest in our survey: Nicholls, Frank G., June, 1960, Report No. TAO/THA/, A program for the development of scientific research in Thailand. Prepared for the Government of Thailand by F.G. Nicholls. Appointed under the United Nations Program of Technical Assistance. I believe Nicholls is an Australian. It seems, however, to have little to do with secondary school education. Pradiath mentioned that U.N. funds had been received to set up a corporate corporation based on the Report. Pradiath is very much aware of BSCS and PSSC work and translations are being prepared and subject matter adapted to the country. CHEM study materials are also being considered but he was unaware of the Chemical Bond Study. Robman of BSCS came through about 4 months ago and translation of BSCS material is underway. The plan is to adapt all of the material to Thailand and to do so in installments published in the "Science Magazine". At each printing enough extra pages are being run up to make up text books in which will
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Jan. 28 sell at low cost. The project is helped by the fact that Pannee Pannee Chiowanich, a woman who did work at Wisconsin and also participated in the biologists' writing conference at Boulder, is involved in the translation and adaptation to Thailand. In the 'Thai version', for example ecological principles will be illustrated with Thailand flora and fauna. The project is helped by the fact that there is only one native language. There is however, not the common bond of 'English' found in India. Pradiath said they had planned to compare the effect of the new curriculum materials in biology with the old ones but they can find no teachers who are willing to use their classes as controls. A similar project involves the PSSC materials. Sippanondha Ketudat, a Harvard physicist is doing the translation. The interest of the Science Society of Thailand, of which Pradiath is Secretary General plus the fact that Pannee returned enthusiastic from the Boulder conference has led to trial of material in the schools. The Ministry of Education is going along and will make the final decision on curricular changes. The Science Society is a private organization of considerable vigor, made up of scientists from many fields and includes science students.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Bangkok Jan. 28 are being awarded each year (programs on some A B's have been extended a year - hence 5 yr. duration). Awards are based on the performance on the "Combined University Entrance Examination". Students list their choice of colleges (lines for specialty) in order of preference. Colleges include - agriculture, science, political science, medicine, pharmacy, education, dentistry. Previously each university gave its own examination. The College of Education attracts the weaker students. School children come to Bangkok for the examination. A district Year, however, may administer the high school metricalaten exam., although it is designed by the university. 10,000 may apply for the "Combined Exam.", but 7,000 may end up taking it. Last year, I believe, 4000 were accepted by the various colleges. I asked about science requirements for high school students. Pradiat said all students must have general science which includes chem., physics, and biology. Science students of course take additional work. There are separate courses in physics, chemistry, and biology.
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Jan. 28 131 Thammasat University in Bangkok, with faculties in social welfare, public administration, political science, accounting, economics and law requires 2 years of general science for all students. The other universities, however, do not have such a requirement as yet. The scholarships mentioned earlier are supported by the Asia Foundation and Rotary Club. A high school graduate is about 18 yrs old & has had 12 yrs. of schooling. He may take 5 yrs to get his AB, depending on the course. Science Fairs in the secondary schools are also a stimulus to science training, as are Science Clubs. The Asia Foundation helped send a teacher and 2 students to the Japanese Science Fair. There is a move afoot to establish an Asian Science Fair with the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand participants and The countries would take turns being host. A teacher and 2 winners were sent to the International Science Fair in the U.S. but the cost was so great this procedure cannot continue. A science refresher course for science teaching has been instituted but it is very short - only 10 days for physics, chemistry, and biology. Only the most outstanding advance can be considered. It was held at the Univ. & some 40s teachers attended. The program was supported by the Science Society and the Ministry of Education. Because of the short time available for the
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 28 course, thought is being given to offering only one science field each summer. The Science Society publishes the Science Journal, arranges Science Fairs, Teacher Institutes, etc. Leaders of the Society are also connected with the Research Council and have influential contacts with the Ministry of Education and other government offices. The society is supported to some extent by the government 100,000 bahts a year ($500). At the present time the president of the Executive Committee of the Natl Research Council is also chairman of the Science Society. Dr. Dart and I also visited Mr. Graham J. Lucas of the Asia Foundation (P.O. Box 1910, Ph. 3-1962). Lucas said Pradeth is an able man but has difficulty in delegating responsibility. He remarked that the Natl Research Council was mostly a paper organ but that one of its divisions, the National Document Center was a start toward something solid. Lucas is a tall, business-like man, balding, in his late 40s or early 50s? He suggested it would be good for us to see A.L. Gardner, a UNESCO documentation man, who touches on science matters.
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Jan. 28 Ph. 45028. He said that the educational program of Thailand was rather inflexible and their exams were fixed. He thought that interest in science was greater in Pakistan than here. Popular 'science' fields in Thailand are medicine, biology, and math. He urged us to see Dr. Kambhaeng Balangura, Secretary General of the National Education council. He is a biologist and a senior scientist who can comment on curriculum change in the country. Thais will work with their hands in contrast to certain other 'upper class' people. Bangkok can give a misleading impression as to the progress of the country; outlying districts are not nearly so well developed. The country as a whole is well off economically. There is export of food surpluses. The central plain is in good shape but the NE sector, which drains to E into the Mekong River p (which forms the border of Laos) is primitive. The people do have ties with those in the central plain but some Communist subversion is going on in the extreme NE. Although Bangkok is well developed there is no widespread development of manufacture of science equipment. The old story emerged of the best people being siphoned off from teaching into more lucrative positions. Money has been going into dams and other development projects. The Education Ministry hasn't done so well... There is a high level of literacy.
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Feb., R. 1963 134 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan..28 Grades 1-4 are compulsory. Actually the Ministry of Education has done quite well. The World Bank is considering giving them a loan but Lucas did not know how much was earmarked for science. The Asia Foundation is helping mostly at the University level and has been aiding the Science Society. This society, the Nat'l Research Council and the Ministry of Education are the key organs that would be involved in science curriculum reform. All this Universities are in Bangkok except me. Bangkok has about 2 million people. The northern part of the country is little populated. It is somewhat mountainous and there is rather heavy jungle. Roads, until recently had been kept rather poorly developed in Bangkok for the theory they would interfere with the railroads. The view has change and improvements are underway. Transport is adequate & easily get secondary school children students to the University. Lucas mentioned that Chonburi, a pretty hilly country & SE would be a good place for a visit.
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Jan. 28 Chiang Mai in the mountainous N was also mentioned. It is 18 hrs. by rail, 3 hrs. by air, about 400 miles N of Bangkok. Round trip by air is about $30.00. Jan. 29 Out on the river at 7:30 a.m. for conducted boat trip to "floating market", Temple of the Dawn, and the "Royal Barges" dock. Returned at 12:00. Many fascinating sights. A few scattered impicaceae and observations - wild animal life; little seen - a few butterflies, many gulls on the main river, attracted to refuse - all apparently of one species, the kite (some as in India & Pakistan?), English sparrows, the "myra" (as in India), the mud-skippers (Periophthalmaus), Domestic animals - many dogs, fawn cats, parrots. Foods seen on sale - pineapple, several kinds of bananas, coconuts, celery, onion (?) rice, quince? of several sorts, corn, papayas, melons, fish of several kinds, meat. Vegetation along the side channels - bananas, coconuts, papayas, & other trees. Transport - boats of many sorts from little "half-moon" boats propelled by oar by one person to steam ships. Many nice boats with family quarters at one end. The appearance of these ships will be recorded in photographs.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 29 Harvest season in rice. Many boats loaded. Rafts of bamboo, used in house construction. Houses of wood with corrugated iron roofs, for most part, on stilts (which are attacked by Teredos & termites). Many people bathing, washing clothes, eating breakfast, cooking. Drinking water supply in pipes according to our guide, & stored in large urns. River water contains sewage & refuse of all sorts. Cute children waved at us as we passed. People in general look in good condition, well fed and happy. All seem to accept being photographed as a matter of course. Our boat followed the tourist loop along a side channel from the main river. Boys seen urinating into the water. Great throng at Floating Market - on shore and in the water, which was cluttered with boats - a constant traffic jam but everybody seemed good natured. Boats loaded with charcoal seen, propelled by person standing a walking oar attached to top of post by twisted cloth. Out in main river were many sleek fast canoe-canoe-like boats with long shafts. Dam Temple & imposing gaudy structure with much pieces of pottery and ceramic pieces. Huge gold Buddha
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Jan. 29 and his "staff" (several smaller figures) in room in front of main structure. Buddhist monks with shaven head and orange robes were seen here and elsewhere on our trip. Dr. Dark says they may serve only a few years and then return to secular life. Young men in their teens or early 20's were often seen. Teakwood seems to be the main wood construction material. In the afternoon visited Uto Chulalongkorn University. Dr. Dark met with a physical science group, I with biologists. I met the following persons: Dr. Kloom Vajjropala, a senior man, who teaches elementary zoology and entomology; Shananwat Devakula, a microbiologist; Mrs. Punnnee Buddhari, supervising unit, Dept. of Sci. Educ., Sunthorn Sirisavabhokern Entomology, Dept. of Biol.; Panee (accent on the last syllable) Cheowonich, Embryology, Dept. of Biol. and two others whose names I did not get. Miss Panee and a Miss Bojanee Charuprakorn, Prep. School, whom I did not meet, have worked in BSCS in the U.S. and the latter is now trying out some of the material. Sunthorn has also tried some of the material
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 29 and says the students like it. It is not dull like their usual work. The group listened attentively to my expose of guidelines; then Miss Panee said the main problem would be for the teachers to find time to study the manual and to think about design experiments. Secondary school teachers teach many subjects and work so hard there is no time or energy left for creative thinking. Mrs. Pumee, the Sci. Ed. Supervisor, said prescience students get 8 hours of theoretical and 2 hrs. of practical science a week, including all phases of science. There are about 4 hrs. a week allotted for science in the non-science curriculum and lab. time depends on the teacher, who may prefer to make the course all theoretical. One teacher [illegible] handlets Miss Panee pointed out that a big problem was lack of suitable reference materials or need for translation into Thai, since few secondary school teachers know English. There is also the problem of the examination that is prescribed at the end of the secondary school training & must be passed
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Jan. 29 139 for the highschool diploma. Then there is the University Entrance Exam. Few teachers will spend time on new material, since the students must be schooled on the examination questions. Dr. Kloom has written a biology textbook which is close enough to the "yellow version" of BSCS that the "yellow version" lab manual is being be translated into Tots and tried out as the practical part of the course. Kloom emphasized equipment shortages but Mrs. Punnee said that 90% of the highschools had at least 1 compound microscope in the science lab. One of the other group members then said, "Are the students allowed to use it?" which caused considerable laughter. Teacher student ratio in labs is around 1-30. All seemed to feel that Ministry must be convinced before a change will occur and all felt that the new approaches (BSCS & PSSC) were needed. No convincing necessary here. Jan. 30 Spent morning writing letters, including one to Mr. Judge, the Asia Foundation Rep. in Manila, to let him know I was coming. Dr. Dart and I plan to separate again following our trip to Hong Kong; he to go to Taipei and
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Stebbins R., 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 30 Tokyo, I to Manila. In the afternoon we visited Dr. Kamhaeng Balantura, Secretary General of the National Education Council. We met him at Chulalongborn University. He has had training in anatomy in the U.S. (Harvard, I believe). He is a short, pleasant man in his late 40s (?), with a hearty laugh and friendly manner. Dr. Kasin Suwatbandhu was present throughout the interview. He was also present yesterday but had to leave early. Kasin is a systematic botanist in the Dept. of Botany at the University. He is a very thin, slight man but alert and obviously intelligent. He reflected on my suggestion that a good teacher could lead the children in research out dows on wild plants and animals, even if she knew little biology if she had some knowledge of the scientific method and was willing to accept the point of view that she her pupils were searching and experimenting together. I had used my experiment with spidus as an example. Kasin remarked that in most cases, the children, coming from the country would know a lot more natural history than their teachers. Some children hunt for insects, etc. for food. Since I was suffering from larvgitis, Dr. Dart presented our story concerning
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Jan. 30 “guidelines”. When he emphasized that the new curricula in the U.S. were using simple materials and described a scale made into needle and straw and calibrated by the student, Dr Ramhaeng remarked that Bangkok children would readily be able to do this kind of thing. The people use a home made scale in the market places. See drawing. When asked how he hoped to get new curriculum materials adopted in Bangkok schools, which would be dependent on the support of the Ministry of Education, he said they are trying to set up a controlled experiment to see if the new course in BSCS will give better results on the Univ. Entrance Exam. than the old approach. Dr Ramhaeng acknowledged that there would not only need to be questions of a factual nature but also questions to test understanding and ability to use the scientific method to fairly test the new materials. He said exam questions were going to be written accordingly. He said the Ministry is willing to try the new materials as long as they cover topics designated on the test. Ramhaeng reiterated the point that summer courses in science had been set up in chemistry, physics, and biology.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ocean Trip Bangkok Jan. 30 and that these courses could be used to introduce the new methods. He agreed that to teach all three to all participants was too much to cover in a short time and that it would be better to cover one subject for a given group of teachers. In the course in general biology the students study both plants and animals — compare plant and animal cells, study classification. In physics, however, there are separate elementary courses on heat, light, etc. Both Kasin and Kanchanag stressed the need for considering structure and function together in the study of living things. There is presently compulsory education through the 4th grade in Thailand. The level is restricted by economic factors. The hope is to gradually increase to the 7th grade, district by district. The Education Council decides policy but the Ministry must work out application of policy; thus in effect, the Ministry must be persuaded of the value of a new program before it can be put into action. Service Society also makes recommendations as to the training of graduate students — they can choose their field into the
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Jan. 30 143 Ministry controls number of students in various programs by shifting support. The Nat'l. Research Council and the Nat'l. Education Council have an informal connection since they communicate through having personnel in common. Thus if it is decided more biologists are needed, the Nat'l Research Council could influence the Nat'l Ed. Council which would then apply pressure on the Ministry. Money comes to University departments from the Nat'l Research Council but distribution of funds by a department on the basic vs. applied research areas, is up to the department. However, at present stress is on applied research because according to Kanhaeng Thailand wants technological progress in a hurry. When Dr. Dart remarked, "Why are you in a hurry? You have plenty of food, etc." Kessii said, "Yes", but in 30 yrs. our population will have expanded to the point where we will no longer have rice for export. Dart suggested that in long run may make greater advance and be less dependent on other countries if mai
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Stebnicz, R. 1963 Ascar Trip Bangkok Jan. 30 emphasis on basic work. Both men agreed. They said, "Why don't you ask Predisth why we are emphasizing applied research?" Both are basic research men themselves. At present time the country is employing many engineers. There is not yet public demand for scientists. The hope is there will be in 5 yrs. and that by then the people will see the need for basic science and that applied science depends on the former. Dart emphasized, however, that it would be well to look ahead now and used an example from India. Germany has an arrangement with the chemical industry of India whereby the Indians can manufacture certain chemical substances developed by the Germans, but the latter never release their latest discoveries for licensing in India. Since India is not producing basic research scientists in chemistry in any significant numbers, she is unable to come up with new chemical products herself and is thus always producing the outmoded or second rate materials of another country and is not in a favorable position to compete in the world market. If she is not to be always a step behind (a follower), she will need to begin to stress basic research in chemistry. India has tried to solve her chemical
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Jan. 30. 145 problem by erecting a tax wall to outside products and thus encourages her people to buy inferior products. The export market is poor because she can't compete. I asked Dr. Karim about the status of taxonomic biology in the country. He estimates that one 1/3 of the higher plants remained to be described. He thinks there must be 15,000 species of which only 8000 have been described. He has travelled widely over the country on botanical research. He thinks only 1/2 of the insects and 4/5 of the vertebrates have been described. Fresh water algae are virtually unknown. Marine algae are being studied first. Jorge Papepufas has visited in the country and been a stimulus to this work. Zoologists and botanists in the country exist in "parts per million". In 22yrs. Amphioxus has been known from ff the delta in the Gulf of Siam. Not until 1959-60 were 3 new species described. Natural history now being studied. We learned that a 3hr. drive to NE would take us to an unploughed wild area that still has a few elephants but they are difficult to see. The place is Kaengai. To the SE are a number of seasonal sites of interest - Cholburi (90 kms.), [illegible] Sriraja (120 kms.), Patya (145 kms.), Sattahib (180 kms.). I learned the main river near Bangkok is formed by the Chaophraya and Tachin river.
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Slevbriz, R. 1963 146 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 31 Today was to be school visitation day. Dart and I met Mrs. Punnee and a Mrs. Prapheanee Kacheniri (pronounced Pra-pa-ni Ka-sem-si), both supervisors in secondary school science, who were to conduct our tour to 3 schools. Mrs. Prapheanee has taught chemistry and physics but has had very little biology. Mrs. Punnee is also oriented toward physical science. However, we looked at biology labs. Both have spent time in the U.S. - Punnee at U.C. Berkeley and Prapheeanee at Indiana (I believe). They are highly intelligent girls. They explained that in the 11th & 12th grades, the students choose 4 out of 5 fields of science - chemistry, mechanics, heat and light, magnetism and electricity, and biology. They spend 2 hrs. a week on each subject - a total of 8 hrs. of theoretical (lecture & demonstration) work. Now 2 hours a week practical work has become compulsory. The student can take one hour in each of two subjects or can take, for example 2 hours of biology one week and 2 hours of physics the next week. We went first to a coeducational
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147 Jan. 31 School, the Triam Udom School, where Panee Chirawanich, who worked with BSCS, is having Miss Rojane Charuprakom try out the curriculum materials. Miss Rojane was in the midst of a review since the students are to be examined next week. She spoke in Thai and had the students come forward and, one by one, add to drawings I found put a cross section of a root and stem, and to label the parts. The review lesson seemed to be all morphological. She then showed me pressed plants neatly prepared and sewed in place on white blotting (?) paper and covered with albumin. She said the students were just getting started with this work and [crossed out] were enthusiastic. She also showed my trays of fascinating insects, also prepared idently. In another room she showed me samples of grafting and showed how the joints are tied close with thread and covered with a plastic wrapping (like saran- wrap). She claims it is better than paraffin or wax. In another room students were being examined in their ability to cut and stain thin sections of plant tissues. They use a razor blade that folds into a metal case (like the old style razors used in shaving). I wonder why there are not more cut fingers but Miss Rojane said accidents were rare. There must have been 25 microscopes - a small Japanese type but with good resolution. The labs were airy, high ceilings,
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Steblins R. 1963 Ocean Trip Bangkok. Jan. 31 and good light. The walls were white. There were many movable tables with formica (?) tops. This is regarded as one of the best equipped schools in Bangkok. These children are all P.P. They have an enthusiastic teacher with the latest curriculum material, and are working in a well-equipped laboratory. I saw copies of the "yellow version", evidently including lab manual, text, teachers guide, etc. Miss Rogerson says the students are excited over their work, much more so than with the old approach, and she is confident they will do better in the tests than previous students. The class is using Dr. Klonis textbook. We then went to the Stri-Vidhya (pronounced stri-vit-ya) girls school, 8-12th grade. The enrollment is a little over 1000. Mrs. Somponi Phalakenkul was in charge. She has done work at Ohio State where she studied education and chemistry. A lab had been arranged for my benefit. The girls were working on floral parts, making sections and drawings. This room of less space but had a high ceiling, was airy and had plenty of table space. The work tables, however, were fixed. There were fewer microscopes. I was shown charts of fishes of Bangkok,
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149 Jan. 31 prepared in water color by students. As in India, there seems to be much emphasis on art in the biology classes. This is OK if not overdue, in my opinion, It may encourage aesthetic appreciation of nature. Large numbers of butterflies were feeding on flowers in the yard. I caught a few by hand. Some there were a number of girls catching butterflies. Some were brought to me. Just as we were leaving Mrs. Somponi brought me a "lantern bug" I had admired in one of the student collections. The girl who had collected it wanted me to have it. Mrs. Somponi is a small, quiet, thin young lady, perhaps in her late early 30's. I suggested to the science supervisors that a butterfly marking study could be carried out in the school yard. The students at both schools were in uniforms. After lunch we visited one of the substandard schools across the river in Dhonburi (a suburb of Bangladesh). It is called Ta-wi-ta-pi-pek. It is overcrowded and running in two shifts. There are some 1800 students (boys). The afternoon shift consists of [illegible] 500. One science lab handles, chem., physics, a biology. The school contains grades 8-12 (mostly 8-10th grade students). They will be getting money for a new
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Stebbins, R 1963 Ocean Trip 150 Bangkok Jan. 31 lab next year and a new building. Since practical work is now compulsory (has been for 1 yr.), there will be a number of new labs constructed in the school. A syllabus, prescribing 20 topics as minimal in biology has been put out by the Ministry of Education. Mrs. Propheance read me the list. I can remember a few topics - photosynthesis, O2 production by plant, CO2 consumption by plant, osmosis, evolution, etc. Evidently the teachers are allowed considerable latitude in developing the topics. Mrs. Propheance and Mrs. Dunne have written lab manuals to implement the specifications of the Ministry (yet neither is a biologist). Other manuals are available, written by other people. The teacher has a choice. The young woman teacher, whose name I didn't get, said that she was going through the lesson on flowers for a second time for my benefit. The boys were drawing the parts of actual blossoms and referring to help board drawing for help in labelling. Razors were in use again. Many different flowers were in use and the teacher explained that it was up to the student to learn to recognize the parts in flowers
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Jan. 31 other than the one upon which he based his drawing. In the lab. (the boys were waiting at their desks in the lecture room) was various stored equipment - physical equipment, preserved specimens (including a human brain), a large wooden figure of a man with leglets that turn on in sequence to show circulation of the blood, 2 badly stuffed & unarticulated mounted birds & mammals (not many). I described the techniques of preparing and storing scientific study skins and urged that this be the kind of student material prepared. The lecture room was again airy and well lighted (natural light) - many large open windows and high ceilings. The tables were movable. I sketched how to make a cheap terrarium when requested to make suggestions for the lab. A standard microscope ($60) was brought out and I was told it was defective. As far as I could tell it merely needed cleaning. There was a thumb-print on one of the oculars. I have been asked to send reference books to the school through Mrs. Prapathanee. We then went to see a large building near the Ministry of Education, where the science supervisors work. There are only 4 of the latter for the whole country and a total of some 15 supervisors of all subjects. There are some 400 priv. second. schools in Thailand. While waiting for a taxi we saw a huge lepidoptera mascot in flight at
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Jan. 31 a height of over 50 ft. It must have had a wing span of 8" This is the country for outdoor biology. An appointment was made for Dr. Dart to see Mr. Saman Sumitra, the Department of Director General of Secondary Education. The science supervisors urged that he be briefed on the new U.S. curriculum studies. He was formerly a physics teacher. In the evening Dr. Dart and I attended a dinner party. The affair evidently stemed from the departure of and our visit. It was stag. Present were Kloen, Kamhaeng (bracketing Stebbins) at the table), (bracketing Dart ), and and Pradiath. It was a very pleasant evening. I ate shark's fin soup (rather cartilageous but tasty), duck brain and tongue and steamed abalone (unpotted) for the first time. I was told the abalone had an aphrodisiac effect. In comparing the possibilities for development of laboratory science in the secondary schools here and in India, I have the feeling that Thailand is more willing to experiment and perhaps
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153 is less hidebound. The economic health of the country is better, it seems, and there will probably be more for education in increasing amount. The leadership below the Ministry level, at any rate, is looking forward and seems progressive. Looking back to Calcutta, I believe it was Miss Mason who told me that sometimes people sleep in the middle of the road. When a horn blows, they got up but go back to sleep after the car passes. The pavement is warm, smooth, and clean.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 154 Bangkok Feb. 1 Arrived at Chulalongkorn Univ. at 8:30 a.m. Wandered along canal at front of biology building while waiting for Dr. Kloon, who will take me to the Pasteur Institute. Noted following: Kingfisher - pale blue, pink, and black markings. Myna - as in India. Saw at least 3 other bird species, unidentified. Saw damselflies, water striders, ants, water boatmen (a back swimmers?), butterflies, spiders that run over the surface of the water, snail shells, a bagworm-like cocoon. These were quite common and coming from the bark of trees and branches of bushes. I open two - one contained some 25 eggs (?); the other a fully developed wasp with long ovipositor. Dr. Kloon said the wasp parasitizes the lepidoptera larva that makes the cocoon. The cocoon is covered with bits of plant material and is light brown. Drawing is actual size. [illegible] I saw a well-camouflaged gcko, like those around the hotel in the rough bark of a tree. Tinea It had evidently been sunning and on my approach [illegible] dodged under a piece of bark. I found an ant carrying a newly transformed damselfly up the trunk of a tree within 8 ft. of the canal. Dr. Kloon says the ant has a very sting.
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155 Feb. 1. I could see a dead branch high in the tree that had a number ? holes in it. Perhaps the ants nest there. There were water lilies and a floating pond weed in the canal - also fish. There is much biological material close to schools here in Bangkok.
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Stobbeiz, R. 1963 156 Asian Trip Bangkok Feb. 1 Visited the Pasteur Institute under the guidance of Dr. Kloon. Took movies of king cobra, cobra and stills of them and the banded krait. Obtained a brochure on the Institute so will not repeat brochure information here. The official name of the Institute is Queen Sirivaba Memorial Institute. Met the assistant director Dr. Sriprapi Phong-Aksara who helped show us around. The snake handler was quite free in his handling of the cobras. Apparently they rarely bite. He picked up some 10-12 kraits in one handful. These snakes are banded with dark brown and yellow. There are some 200 deaths per year caused by venomous snake bite. There have as yet been recorded no king cobra bites. The Institute prepares a specific anti- venin from 5 venomous snakes of Thailand- cobra (Naja naja), king cobra, Russell's vipre (producing hissing sound), Malayan pit-viper (Ancistrodon rhodostoma) and banded krait (Biter core). Dried venom keeps indefinitely. Venom extracted into watch glass - vacuum- dried or desiccated in chamber with calcium chloride, mixed with normal saline and injected into horses in
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157 Feb. 1 increasingly larger amounts, have subcutaneously in neck region. Blood drawn from Rhesus in horse's neck. Formed elements allowed to clot & settle out. Then serum filtered and dried. White powder results. Powdered serum will keep for 5 yrs. especially if refrigerated. The serum is mixed with normal saline (?) for injection - perhaps it was distilled water. 60-100 cc. may be injected for a cobra bite, relatively more for children. The cobra is common in the central Valley and causes the most bites. It occurs even in Bangalore and one very large one was caught recently in back of one of the hotels. The cobra (Naja naja) has a venom 10 times more potent than king cobra venom but the latter injects a large quantity, hence is regarded as very dangerous. Russell's Viper and the Malayan Pit viper have hemorrhagic venoms. The Krait has a venom with both neurotoxic and hemotoxic effect. The cobras have neurotoxic venoms. In the case of Russell's Viper there is much bleeding from the mouth & digestive track - emoli form, at least in small faunerals. There are also species of Tremeresaurus which have a hemolytic venom but these snakes are not as dangerous as the others. Three species of [illegible] sea snakes occur along the Thailand coast and fishermen are sometimes bitten. However, the venom glands are so small, the Institute has not found it possible to prepare anti- venom. Many people come in for treatment that
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October, R. 1963 Assam Trip Bangkok Feb. 1 have been bitten by harmless snakes. It is usually easy to distinguish between common poisoning from neurotoxic and hemotoxic venoms. It is difficult, however, to distinguish krait from cobra, if the victim did not see the snake. Treatment is for cobra, since krait bites are so rare. The krait is disinclined to bite and unless hurt in some way will usually not bite. King cobra bites are rare because it is a jungle snake. The Institute treats rabies cases. There is considerable dog rabies in Thailand. It also maintains a blood bank. I forgot to mention that in testing serum to see if it is up to titer, a given quantity of serum is mixed with a particular amount of venom that it should be capable of neutralizing. The mixture is then injected into mice. If they survive, the serum is considered O.K. These specific antivenoms have a dramatic effect. A person may come in comatose from cobra bite and in a few minutes is recovering, following injection of serum. If a person is sensitive to horse serum, the injection is made intramuscularly, or intradermally or even into the blood via an infusion.
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159 7th. I It is felt it is better to risk anaphylactic shock than take chances with the bite. Dark & I walked over to the Oriental Hotel for dinner. We got to watching the gecos around the lights. Incidentally, at the Princess Hotel, I have seen them crawling on the fluorescent tubes when the tubes were illuminated. I watched one stalk a small insect, perhaps 4 mm. long. The lizard crawled slowly to within 2 1/2 " and then "froze". Presently it elevated and writhed the tail. It then crawled forward cautiously to within about 1 1/2 " and froze again. There were no further tail movements. Suddenly the animal lunged forward and caught the [illegible] insect in its mouth. The tongue appeared not to have been extended. We saw other individuals use the tail movement on approaching prey. What might be its adaptive value, if any? 7th. 2 Mrs. Praphanee and her husband, Mr. Buranaphoke Kashemori, Chemistry Dept., Faculty of Medical Science, Univ. of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, drove us to Cholburi along the SE coast. We left at 8:15 a.m. and returned around 5:00 p.m. It was a clear, mild day (for this climate). We travelled in their little Volkswagen. I got many good pictures of water buffalo, including a group of them threshing rice, pictures of native huts, boats, etc.
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Stobbin, R., 1963 Asian Trip 160 Bangkok Feb. 2 Domestic animals seen included dogs, ducks (great numbers - the eggs are larger and cheaper than hens eggs), pigs, cows, water buffalo, pigeons. The town of Cholburi, a fishing village smelled of duck fices. Many shells of tortoise (?) were seen and a variety of fish. For much of the way we travelled along the west side of a freshwater canal. On the opposite side of the lived road were salt flats and several extensive salt processing areas. There were many huts with roof and sides covered with palm thatch (which Mrs. Praphance said had to be replaced every 3 years. The thatch is not allowed in town because of the danger of fire. Huts were on stilts. Opposite many were large wind-mill like rigs for netting fish. Mrs. Praphance said fish were scarce now because of overfishing. The fish are taken faster than they can breed. The decline has occurred in recent years with increase in population along the canals in the vicinity of the city. There are now 2 million people in Bangkok and 2.2 million in the country. We also saw a great basket-like traps and hand operated tray nets, small editions of the
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Feb. 2 large once. There were also people fishing with hook and line. Others had dammed up shallow areas and were dipping water from one side to the other. Still others were wading through the dense floating growth. Both adults and children were involved. With this kind of activity going on every day, obviously few fish grow up to reproduce. Mrs. Phaphance said that only this year have they started course work in conservation. But how can one get these poor people to give up fishing for a time? There are now efforts to culture fish to help supply the demand. The huts along the canal were at the edge of extensive rice fields. She said the people rented the land for farming rice and [illegible] made out the rest of the way with fishing & milk from the buffaloes which are fed rice straw and grass along the canal. We saw numbers of these long-horned beasts wallowing in mud and eating grass. They seemed to be docile and children were often seen astraddle their broad backs. One boy lay full length looking at the ship. Nearly every home, no matter how poor, has a small "spirit house", a model of a temple with The houses are supposed to ward off evil spirits but many people no longer believe in spirits. They have a spirit house because it is the custom.
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Stebbins R. 1963 Asian Trip Bangkok Feb. 2 Customs and the house is like a good luck charm or rabbits' foot. Near many of the homes were haystacks of rice straw, and occasionally a pile of rice. The buffaloes are used to thresh the grain and the straw is worked out with rakes or pitch-forks. Then the rice is winnowed in flat baskets to get rid of the chaff. It is transported in small boats along the canal to storage sheds. At Choburi we saw free-living monkeys near on a rocky bluff near the ocean. They came to within 8-10 ft. to get food. There are numbers of blackbirds with forked tail. They have been seen flycatching. The birds are about 8-10 inches in total length. We drove to a earth dam reservoir 15 kms. further south. We drove around it looking for wildlife, since there were a few cultivated stretches. I was surprised at the scarcity of birds or reptiles. No reptiles or frogs were seen. Mrs. Prophane has pointed out that it is the season of dormancy but it is certainly warm enough for reptiles to be active. I have seen small boys with slingshots. I suspect they are hard on birds. I saw boys shooting at swallows
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Feb. 2. and a man carrying a gobe-like bird. As in south africa, bird life has perhaps been decimated in the heavily populated rural areas by "animal protein hunger". The Cholburi area goes in for tapioca growing. The plant grows to a height of 6' has a long noddy stalk and lanceolate leaves (n leaflets). It reminded me of manioc seen in Portuguese East Africa. Are they the same? yes. The tubers are dried and then pulverized. At Bunglebule there is a big program of drain construction to get rid of the gum water of the canals. Malaria has been all but eliminated. The mosquito vectors are still around but are not rarely infected, according to Mrs. Prophame. There is evidently no schistosomiasis and elephantiasis is rare. There is no yellow fever.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 164 Asia Trip Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur Feb. 3 Left Bangkok on Malayan Airlines jet flight # 311 at 12:20 p.m. The crew was British. We flew at 34,000 ft. Flight time was 1 hr. + 55 min. Dart and I are travelling together. Saw a magnificent meander in the main river near its mouth as we were leaving Bangkok. The river had nearly doubled on itself to cut off an extensive embayment. Many stream channels suggesting complicated blood vessel system. We flew over water most of the way. Many small cloud puffs below. As we came in to Kota Kuala Lumpur, noted extensive tracts of what appeared to be original rain forest, even near the city. Much contour planting. Vegetable gardens. Temperature at airport 90° F. Scattered Clouds. Found a Otygozoon - like gecko in my bathroom at The Federal Hotel. It had side flaps, star and then skin on side of tail and along near side I tried to go. The animal was very agile and writhed its tail as I brought my hand near for capture. It was a very pale olive gray, without pattern. Dr. Dart + I took an evening walk. Great numbers of swiflets were clustered beneath building overhangs. Colonial
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Feb. 3 165 nests were seen, which proved the next day to be occupied by young or brooding adults. These swifts are sorty colored, have a white throat and rump and are a bit chunky and larger than the white-throated swift of the U.S. The voice is comparable. Geckos were seen on the sides of buildings near lights. Feb. 4 This morning at 7:20 a.m. swifts were hawking about the streets and restlessly moving about over the clusters of colonial nests. Two or three were sometimes been clinging to the side of a building in a sheltered place, in contact with one another. Called the Dept. of Zool., Univ. of Malaya. John Newrickson left Jan. 21. Talked to Dr. F. S. Dhaliwac, acting head of the department. Phone - Office KL 89-361, home KL. 52438. He says Draco can occasionally be seen even at this time of year. The flying frog, however, is 200 miles away, along the coast. It is very rare. At 10:15 a.m we had an appointment with John O. Sutter, Assist. Rep., Asia Foundation (P.O. Box 921, No. 1 Damansara Road). Wm. T. Fleming, Rep. was not available. We found we were 1/2 hr. late, not realizing there had been a time change between Borneo and Kuala Lumpur. Thus this meeting was cut short.
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Slether, R. 1963 Kuala Lumpur Feb. 4 Mr. Sutter told us that a revision of the secondary school science curriculum was under way by a Syllabus Review Committee of the Ministry of Education. Mr. Tan Chin Guan, chairman of the Science subcommittee. The curriculum committee (jr. highschool level) has put out a report which, incidentally, it does not know is being acted upon. Sutter said the decision making power in the education field is very diffuse. Those who make the decisions are not always those in touch with science. Malaya, formerly part of British British Commonwealth has strong ties with the British educational system. However, the ministry is becoming more Malaysianized and is looking to other programs (besides British). There has been a large time lag between changes in science education in Britain to keep pace with modern advances, and what happens in science education in British colonies. I then went to the University, a beautiful new campus 2 1/2 miles out of town. At the zoology department I found Dr. Dhaliwal and a circle of his colleagues discussing what might be done during my brief stay. I told them of my primary mission and of my desire to photograph
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Feb. 4 Draco. They felt quite sure that they could get native children to procure specimens but that they would be conster because the children knock them down with blow gun pellets. However, I was assured they would still be able to glide. I learned that Ptychozoon is truly a glider and that it is able to glide from a perch to catch insects. The location of a nest was known and a plan was laid to go thus. Mr. D. Wells, a graduate student in ornithology working under Dr. G. Medway (Office phone 89361, Exp. 244) told me about the gliding snake Chrysopelea paradisia which he says is quite common, although one does not often see it glide. It engages in slanting flight with its body held in a series of lateral undulations and its ribs expanded and belly concave. I saw a preserved specimen which was dark colored and flecked with numerous pale spots. The animal is very slender. I was told they could stage an aborigine hunting with blow gun. A bamboo splinter is fixed. The tip is poisoned with a bruised concoction from the "Ipoh" tree. The plant is mentioned in Binkle's, "Dictionary of Natural Products"
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Stebbins, R. 1963 168 Ocean Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 4 I was informed that there were no large colonies of the fruit-eating bats around Kuala Lumpur but that smaller species roosted in trees. However, their fly out at night was not spectacular. The swifts (Apis sp.? ) has undergone a population explosion because of the ideal nesting sites provided by the overhang of buildings. Such overhangs are rare in nature. This is near J Medway. Fortunately, Medway is a thin, manor-faced Britisher in his late 20s or early 30s. His student Wells is working on breeding cycles in equatorial birds and he is familiar with Allen Miller's work. Wells is trying to perfect the laparotomy technique. I described the gecko seen in my bathroom and the group decided it was the common gecko about buildings. # Winnie Chien, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Singapore, Singapore 10, was present. In the afternoon Dart and I return to Sutter's office and he continued filling us in on the educational picture. Mr. Aria Nazzam is the Chief Educational Adviser. He was trained at Harvard
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169 is to be sent to Feb. 4 and has attended an international educational seminar by the Asia Foundation. He is a confirmed believer in the British system. The Asia Foundation (AF) hopes to give him a broader view. He was labelled as no. 4 man in the Ministry. Abdulha [illegible], permanent secretary is no. 2 man. He is a practical type. Aminuddin Bakri is no. 3, a Queen's scholar, hence sold to the British system. Abdul Hamid Khan is no.1, the Minister of Education. He is perhaps more open minded than the others because his education consisted of 5 yrs. of highschool and experience as a school master. He did not have British Univ. experience. The curriculum committee mentioned is made up of teachers who have taught service. However, there is inertia in adopting [illegible] new ideas by the policy people. Local people have been gradually taking over posts held by British personnel. Sometimes the replacements have been good but often the new people have lacked the know how of their predecessors.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 170 Asian Trip Nicola Lemper Feb. 4 The minister (Kalu) has signed a Fulbright Grant agreement and feels feels educational exchange with the U.S. is desirable. He may be more inclined to recognize non-British education as valuable since he has not had a university education. No2, 2-4 have bias. Last year for the first time free primary education became available. It is not yet compulsory because school facilities are not yet adequate. There is, however, a larger percentage of children in school than formerly. The school sequence is 1-6th primary, 5 years secondary. After the 6th year there is an examination for entrance into the secondary school. The exam. is deliberately designed to pass only 30% of students. There is strong control here again & pressure because of lack of adequate facilities. In the secondary schools there is a test at the end of the 3rd year, following which successful students get a "Lower School Certificate" (end of 9th year). "Form 5" is the school certificate granted at the end of secondary school. "Form 6" is achieved after 2 more years of schooling (post academy)
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Feb. 4 These years would be equivalent to US 12th grade in high school and 1st year in college. The U.S. equivalent or the examination would be the college entrance exam. Formerly Malaya had a college entrance exam. but it is now arrived in place of "Form 6". The number of people leaving Form 6 are more than the 2 universities can handle, despite the fact that there are 2-3 thousand Malaysians studying abroad in U.K & elsewhere. There are staff shortages especially among the secondary school teachers. Some teachers have been brought in from [illegible] India (Colombo Plan). (Probably not the best science teachers considering what we have seen in India). Some have come in from Australia. The Peace Corps is also helping. Any person who can teach science can get a secondary school job right away. The secondary school science syllabus is based on the U.K. Cambridge examination and must be covered. Many of the textbooks are
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Malaysia Trip Kuala Lumpur 172 Feb. 4 old British texts and are too theoretical and inadequately illustrated. Foreign texts are picked up by libraries but are not allowed as texts in the classroom because they do not follow the syllabus. There are many government schools and the Ministry controls the syllabus, hence the program is rather rigid. Even the private schools must follow the syllabus. The present syllabus was adopted about 5 yrs. ago and is now considered behind times by teachers. This led to the setting up of the General Syllabus Review Committee of which there are two subcommittees - the math committee and the Science and Rural Science Committee. The chairman of the latter is a former grantee of the AF who was sent to the U.S. to participate in a summer service institute dealing with PSSC materials. AF has supplied him with the new curriculum materials - PSSC, CHEM, CBA, BSCS (all versions), SMSC. He is Mr. Tan Chui Juan. He has made his recommendations and hopes to have experimental classes trying the materials but he has encountered a lot of red tape. In order for a school teacher
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Feb. 4 to use the new material he must get approval of the headmaster. Often the latter does not appreciate the value of the materials. There is an inspection system in the schools and use of materials without approval could result in the inspection system cracking down. Each state in Malaya has a state science supervisor. He is usually a leading science teacher in one of the leading schools. He visits schools and gives advice but gets no additional pay. A Peace Corps representative, a friend of Sutter's, was asked to react to the new curriculum materials. He felt there was much usable material but that it would have to be adapted to use in Malaya and could not be taken on in unmodified form. The Corps is the only U.S. aid at the secondary school level. There is no AID, Malaya is not so underdeveloped and there is help from U.K. The Science Committee refused to give has made recommendations at the junior high school level but is not ready yet to tackle the high school problem. It remains to be seen if the Ministry is going to accept the recommendations. AF has been sending people to the NSF summer institutes in the U.S. For some reason all people sent so far have been in physical science. AF will urge broadening of choice of representatives.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Kuala Lumpur Feb. 4 with respect to subject matter. The people sent have been state science supervisors. AF will probably also send people to the academic year institutes in the U.S. Last year the towns in eastern Malaya got "Form 6" so students could qualify for the university. There had long been a clamor for this. Malay is the national language. It is planned to make it compulsory in the schools. English is also taught so the whole will be bilingual. All English materials will have to be translated into Malay - a formidable task. There is potential hostility among the various ethnic groups -- Chinese, Indians, and Malaysans. Common language may help to bring about unity but when first proposed as a school requirement, the Chinese objected. They agreed however, when they were threatened with loss of school support. In the primary schools all languages are supported, hence this helps to ease Tensions. The language problem has reappeared on the examinations. The 30% pass program has posed difficulties. The 100% Malaysians feel they are the real residents & the country.
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Feb. 4 yet less than 30% of the Malays were among the 30% passing the exam. There was more than 30% Chinese & Indian. Only the large urban high schools had science and the Chinese & Indians are concentrated in the cities. Education is the biggest item in the national budget, topping defense. Formerly in black but last two years there has been a deficit because of the fall in rubber income. A crash program to build schools is underway, nevertheless Most Malayan teacher [illegible] training goes on in the cities and in England. There are two colleges for Malaysians in that country. [illegible] At least they existed before Independence. A new teacher training college near the Univ. of Malaya is replacing one of those in England. There is also one in Penang and one in Johore. These are junior high school colleges. Three training schools have also been established for the junior schools. Malaya is a fairly well developed underdeveloped country. It has an ongoing science program as compared with most Asian countries. Sarawak and N Borneo may become eastern Malaya. Science is just now getting started there in the secondary schools.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 ASEAN Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 4 Since the situation is fluid it might be a good place to test out new programs. In the fall it is expected that Sarawak, NE Borneo, Singapore and Malaya will become Federation of Malaya Malaysia. These areas have in common Malaysia currency, the British based school system, colonial background and language ties (Malaya Malaya and English). It is thought that the Federation will help act as bulwark against Communism. Small, underdeveloped countries by themselves could fall prey to Communist tactics. Singapore, Sarawak and Borneo territories will have considerable autonomy. This applies to education. Sarawak and N Borneo are less developed areas than remainder of Federation. It is hoped that in time the Federation will become more unified. The latter two countries are now engaged in a major English language teaching program and are likely to be receptive to new teaching methods. AF is supplying an American linguist as supervisor of the language program. The British regard American linguistics training as effective hence it.
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Feb. 4 is content that they will consider new teaching methods if they are convinced they are superior. The few science teachers now in Sarawak are Indians that have been brought in. They will no doubt emphasize traditional methods. Sarawak has a difficult economic problem, thus schools are poorly equipped. AF is interested in developing the testing program and will be sending out two examinees to foreign summer workshops on testing. (?) AF is also involved in a half million dollar graduate science program in Singapore, a program exceptional because of its size. AF does not ordinarily supply buildings and equipment but in Sarawak it may help an equipment. Malay government supported students who are studying abroad are all in applied fields - none are in science. Example fields are forestry, medicine, engineering. AF might be interested in a pilot project dealing with the new curriculum materials. Sarawak or N Borneo might be good place to start. It might prepare sample sets of PSSC equipment, for example to be tried out.
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Feb. 4 Sutter read us excerpts from an analysis of the suitability of the PSSC materials for use in Malay schools written by Mohammed Ali - Ibrahim. In general he endorsed the program but felt it could not work well because of syllabus restrictions. He did not suggest that the syllabus might be changed. A Mr. C. Gunasingam had wholly favorable comment. Feb. 5 This morning we visited the Methodist Boys' Secondary School, one of the best secondary schools in the country. The pupils are Malayan, etc. It is a national type English medium school (other mediums are Chinese, etc.) There are 4 mediums. We met the principal Mr. T. Mori, a Japanese, and the senior assistant, Mr. Tan Hee Heng, evidently Malayan. The school was started in 1896 and was a private institution until 1922. Now in staffing, funding, etc., it is no different from other national schools. It is only nominally controlled by the Methodists.
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Feb. 5' With the church and government involved, the school has many bosses. There is an educational secretary and a board of governors, responsible for running the school. The campus contains primary school, secondary and high school. In the afternoon a private primary and secondary school meets there. The school includes Form 6 and is in the 6-5-2 (13 yr.) system. US schools are in a 6-3-3 system. It is a boys school except for Form 6 which includes girls. The enrollment is 1100. It is one of few schools that offers Matriculation - the HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate). The Methodists have no program for teacher training. The Catholics do, however. All teachers in the school were trained in government training schools (a, I suppose, were imported). Most of the teachers were educated in Malaya. Some are from India but their degree is not recognized. Mr. More said some of the Indian teachers were well qualified, others not. The good ones after 4 or 5 yrs. should have their degree recognized, he feels. All students get general science from first to fifth secondary year.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 5 In general science they study physics, chemistry and biology. At the end of Form 3 (3rd year of secondary school) they get an LCE (Lower Certificate of Education). The examination given is run by the governmental Examination Syndicate and the exam is national. If a student passes this examination he can go on to Forms 4 and 5. At Form 5 he takes the HSC exam. If he passes he can enter the 2 yr. pelluniversity course. At the LCE students are grouped by performance. Those who do well in science enter what they call the "science stream"; those who do well in commercial subjects, the "commercial stream" - in the arts, the "art stream", etc. In the special science stream the students go more deeply into science. Subjects available are math., physics, chem., botany, and zoology. In some schools the latter two are combined in biology. The Cambridge syllabus is followed. Two units are given for a principal subject, 1 unit for a subsidiary subject.
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Feb. 5 Most students offer 4 principal subjects in science for a total of 8 units. All classes have lab., one each week in each subject. In conducting the lab, the teacher can add, subtract or otherwise modify his approach as long as the syllabus is covered. There is periodic review of the syllabi by the Exam. Syndicate of Cambridge. In biology we were told, the exams emphasize 'local forms'. It is difficult to get good teachers because the better students go into positions that are more lucrative and offer more prestige. If a man is good in chemistry, for example, he goes into industry where he gets good pay and has status. Some people trained in science go into administrative posts which is a poor use of scientific manpower. We visited several laboratories in session. The chemistry lab was a large enovated classroom but seemed well equipped. Long study tables with chemicals, plenty of work space, sinks, gas (produced from petrol), were noted. The room had a high ceiling and big fluorescent lights, small and situated
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 5. highs up. On rainy days (which must be frequent), there would be rather poor illumination. The walls were light-colored. There was plenty of blackboard space and a good classroom supply of glassware and chemicals. Each student has a locker and equipment he shares with a companion but in exams, the students work separately. The class was analyzing a lead acetate solution. They were also working with silver nitrate. The labs are in heavy use from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm. The chemistry teacher showed us a list of experiments designed to cover the topics in the syllabus. Chemicals are supplied by the government. The physics lab was also roomy, with high ceiling and high light fixtures, airy and light colored. Electric outlets were adequate. Tables were movable. The biology lab was somewhat smaller than the other two but was roomy, had adequate table surface, sinks & running water, adequate light, and plenty of blackboard space. Reference collections of local animals were sketchy, however.
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Feb 5 183 The students were dissecting the cranial nerves (5th & 7th) of the dogfish and were using as text "Animal Biology" by Jive and Hewell, London. Each student had a personal dissecting kit and most were drawing the nerves in question, having completed their dissections. Tables in the room were fixed. Each [illegible] a compound microscope is available to every 2 students. Drops are kept in heated cupboard because of the problem of mold. Very said many students want to study science. It is a world Trend. Biology students go on field trips and collect and write notes about the local flora and fauna. Trade schools are not popular. People do not want to work with their hands. Social value is attached to white collar and professional work. [illegible] Many want to be doctors and "all" want to do science whether they are good at it or not. We then went to the Ministry of Education, where we met the top people. Abdul Hamid Khan, the Minister of Education (no. 1), Aminuddin Baki Chief Educational Adviser (no. 3), the
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Stebbins, R Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur 184 Feb. 5 (2) Deputy Permanent Secretary, Abdullah Sahat and Eames-Hughes-U.K. Administrator, formerly Permanent Secretary. [The Crossman] the chief executive position in the Ministry) and now secretary of a committee on the needs of Higher Education. Mr. Satter sat in. Dr. Dart opened by presenting the reasons for our visit. All listened attentively. When discussion got under way Baki proved to be the most talkative. Khan seemed inclined to let him carry the ball. Khan is a slenky, dark-skinned, older man, perhaps in his late 50s. Baki is short, stocky, light-skinned full-lipped, enigmatic person. Sahat and Eames-Hughes were silent. Dart urged that the syllabus review committee get some scientists to work closely with it. At present only non-scientists are involved except for slight participation of scientists as advisors. Baki maintained that there could be little change because of the syllabus and seemed to feel change would have to come from Cambridge.
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Feb. 5. Sutter, who knows these people will feel we had gotten across our message and that it was well received. Baki asked to borrow the a copy of 'guidelines' which he will return to me Fri. evening. Sutter informed us that there are a variety of religions in the country - Christian, Buddhists, Confucianist, Islam (Muslim), Animist. The latter imagine all kinds of good and evil spirits in the forests. The forest people living in long- houses, are traced, cut and slash to clear out area, farm it for 2 or 3 yrs. and move on. Dr. Dast told an interesting story about the introduction of a new strain of rice from Japan into Nepal. The U.S. (I believe) agricultural advisors offered the rice to the people of a small village. The rice gave a greater yield and was more resistant to rust, etc. (at least in Japan) than the rice the Nepalese were accustomed to growing. The people tried the rice for about 2 years and then gave up planting it despite the fact that there was an increased yield and
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 5 at least during the brief trial no pest damage. When the matter was investigated it was found that the grains tended to adhere to the stems more than the local rice. This led to problems with threshing which was a ritualized community effort with religious overtones, hence, since the people were not in dire need they just stopped planting and didn't feel called upon to say why. Dark emphasized the need to have social scientists working with technologists. An oversimplified approach can get into trouble. This sounds like the way some specialists, such as pest control people, attack problems in the area of ecology. The approach is usually direct and does not take into account all possible interactions in the ecosystem. Dark also commented on a political matter - recognizing PRC mainland China when I asked "If I were a political scientist could I go to China to study"? He said "No, even if you could get an invitation, one state Dept. would not.
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Feb. 3 "I admit it seems we are not on speaking terms with China" (Mainland). Dart feels that because we do not approve of a government this is not a good basis for trying to maintain open channels of communication. Communist China holds Americans under arrest and is engaged in aggression but Russia has engaged in aggression yet we recognize her. Even if the people of the Chinese mainland are at the gunpoint of gangsters, the present government is the government of China whether we like it or not. Recognition doesn't mean approval. Perhaps the Chinese in Formosa are at gun point. Certainly the area is heavily militarized. Maybe Chang's government is not approved. Maybe the people wouldn't want to invade the mainland. Maybe these people are at gunpoint, yet we recognized the Chang gov't. Dart pointed out that when the Communists came down from the north they brought with them agrarian reform and they got much support from the people. Chang had been heavy on taxation and the little
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February, R 1963 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 5 man got nothing in return. His government were pretty corrupt. State Dept. people interested at the time (one a classmate of Dart's wife) reported the acceptance of the Communist program. This is not what we wanted to hear. These people were labelled as pink & McCarthy went after them. Dart's friend lost everything - career, stature, etc. Many years later he was able to get his case before the U.S. Supreme Court and he was completely exonerated but the damage had been done. It is now known these State Dept. people were right. The State Dept. now may wish to change its views somewhat but the U.S. public does. They have been over sold on the idea of not recognizing China. Dart feels that despite our pressure tactics to keep the Chinese question off the UN agenda that sooner or later it will come to a vote and we will lose. If China gets nuclear power, then why should she join a nuclear control system?
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189 Feb. 6 Today we visited a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, the Victoria Institution. Mr. Allen Baker is the Headmaster. He is a large, husky fellow with black hair and pale skin and he from U.K. The school contains grades 7-12th (Forms 1-6). Girls occur in Form 6 but all other classes are attended by boys only. One of their young needs in Malaya, says Baker is graduate science teachers. He mentions that some 500 PhDs from U.K. have gone to America to stay. He evidently wishes they would stay in U.K. or he could get some in Malaya. We learned of a Mr. X.R. Allen, a New Zealander who has written a textbook in biology modelled after the BSCS materials. New Zealand authorities are evidently switching over to the American science teaching technique. The school is on the Cambridge syllabus system but we were told that the latter prescribe subject matter and alter treatment and that the development of the topic is up to the teacher. In the Form 6 "science stream" both botany and zoology must be studied. The Cambridge exam is given in Dec. for the students do not get results until Feb. a Mar. Headmasters in England are allowed to work out their own syllabus but even there they are bound by the exam. In Malaya there was no such latitude. Cambridge will consider modifications suggested by a region but there is no opportunity for a given region to experiment before requesting modifications.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 190 Ocean Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 We visited a general science lab. with 45 students. The text in use was " Daniels' General Science," Oxford Univ. Press. (Books 1-4). The book was written by Daniel in Malaya where he taught for 25 yrs. In one classroom we saw only 11 students. We were told these were a special group of superior students in a special general science class. The Federal Inspectorate will approve such classes only if the school has proper facilities and equipment. These students are called 2nd credit students. Other students meeting the normal requirements are called 1st-credit students. The special students still follow the syllabus. We then visited a Form 6 chemistry lab. There were 25 students. Each had a personal set of laboratory equipment. (In general science 2 students share a set). They were doing a displacement reaction using copper sulphate and zinc. It was a review exercise of material they should have learned in an earlier course. Classes have outgrown facilities. Originally there were 15+ students to a class; now there may be 45.
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Feb. 6. The government plans to build more schools. It is not expected, for example, that the Victoria Institution will expand. We met a slender, enthusiastic, bright young Senior Science Master, Mr. Yeoh Bon Chye, a biologist trained at Queensland University, Brisbane, Aus. Senior science master's [illegible] scholarship students assigned to schools by the government. He showed us about the science labs. In the physics lab was a motto over the blackboard that read: "Theory without practice is empty" Practice without theory is blind" Baker said there is no use in increasing number of schools giving Form 6 unless university offering is increase. Universities could not handle increase. He said that at one time in Malaya teaching had high prestige but that now the profession competes unfavourably with industry and governmental positions. Science education is at high premium in Malaya, the public is grateful to those who elect to go into teaching but they are, nevertheless not accorded prestige.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 Baker laments the fact that there is a big difference in pay between an honors graduate and a non honors one. The former can handle only one subject and the latter can handle several. Mr. Allen remarked that he has been impressed by the business-like approach of Malaysian children in contrast to children in New Zealand. The former appreciate the great opportunity of getting an education; the latter take school for granted. We visited the biology lab. I think it was the best equipped lab. I have ever seen. Biology is carried in Form 6 on a period of 2 yrs. There is much practical work. Chye, a biologist, was obviously especially attracted to this laboratory and his fascination was obvious everywhere. He bubbled with enthusiasm. We saw the following: many visual aids - slides (2X2x larger), slide project, microprojector, opaque projector, Bell and Howell movie projector, plaster models (some made by students), incubator, refrigerator, sterilizer, battery jar aquarium with live fishes, 33 compound and 18 dissecting microscopes (kept in air conditioned room), 3500 prepared slides in
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193 Feb. 6 botany and zoology (microscope slides), freezing and paraffin microtome (all new equipment), sizable collection of plants and animals mostly made by students, well labelled as to collector, locality, date, and identity. The students (special ones) had done a study of chick development and had illustrated it. The class has worked with developing frog eggs. There is sometimes time for extra work at the beginning of the semester. The class takes field trips outside of school hours (17-18 April of students). They had recently made an ecological study of a mangrove swamp, replete with photographs, drawings, graphs (bar and transect) and even a mock-up of the swamp on the front table. This study involved food chain analysis. Specimens collected are preserved. Incidentally, one of the mangrove plants is Rhizophora mucronata, one of rare viviparous species, that drops its embryos into the mud. The radicle is lance-like and sticks in the mud. I saw this species (or a related one) on Lucrea Island in 1958. Like the other labs, this one was very large, airy, well lighted, had plenty of table & sink space.
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Stobbe, R. 1963 Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 There was a desk lamp for each student. Blackboard space was ample. 32 students could be accommodated. Texts are - Annual Biol., Gray and Hewell; Textbook of Botany, Lowson and Sahni; and Animal Biol. for the Tropics, Purchon. The students have cleaned and mounted skeletons of dog, cat, etc., have prepared study skins. They are encouraged to join the "Nature Society", a federal society with branches in each Malayan state. We also saw physiological equipment including respirometer. Mr. Chye said excellence in equipment depends a lot on the teacher - if the teacher is enthusiastic and goes after it, the government will come through. Glassware, incidentally, is obtained from England or Europe (Germany). Locally manufactured glass is inadequate. Schools can no longer import glassware, etc. duty free. Science students cost the school about $10 each a year ($20 for Form 6 students). There are about equal numbers of arts and science students in the school.
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195 Feb.:6. Juan must OK orders for equipment. No question about VI. but since I the new schools must be looked at closely. The Form 6 science building of the school was built in 1955. VI became a government school in 1936. Mr. Allen told us New Zealand brought men from MIT in U.S. to help with PSSC program there. Biology program (BSCS) to come. The programs have great appeal in New Zealand because equipment is not expensive. Changes in science teaching may come in England first and will then permeate Malaya. However, our feeling is that Malaya should not wait, if it feels change is desirable. Juan says they are watching curricular changes in U.S. with interest and are engaged in syllabus review in Malaya, however, no scientists are involved as yet. Juan's feeling is that the groundwork should be laid first and then they will call in scientists for advice. Both Dart and I felt that perhaps by then the program would have become crystallized by non-science people and suggestions by the scientists might not be followed or the scientists might merely accept what had been worked out.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 In the afternoon we went to Medway's (Lord Medway) place on the Gombak River in the Gombak Forest Reserve, about 12 miles E of Kuala Lumpur. Only 5 or so miles out of town we got into wild country mixed with rubber plantations. The latter are arranged in contour rows and are in "fall" colors. Wells says there's not much wildlife there because of the heavy spraying. Dr. x Mrs. Dahlqvist and Wells accompanied us and provided transportation. We left the main highway, a two-lane paved road of excellent quality, and followed a two-wheel track down into a canyon in rainforest where we photographed a somewhat Europescized aboriginal family - parents and 5 children. The site was a few miles from Medway's place. The man collects birds for Medway's. The woman was weaving a mat and the man cutting bamboo to make a bed. The baby emulated his father by hacking at a sapling with an 8" knife, a rather terrifying plaything for a child around a year old. Their home was in the deep shade of dense jungle and was of plant materials and built on stilts.
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197 Feb. 6. The man's skin appeared to be infected with a fungus. He had large mottled areas of paler skin over his back. We saw many colorful butterflies, several stick-like lizards, whip scorpion, ants (one species that builds galleries & loosely knit plant shaft on plant stalks), termites tubes, some extending to the tops of the highest forest trees. It was warm and the air heavy, probably from high humidity imported by the rank vegetation, despite the fact that it has not rained for 4 or 5 days. This is considered a drought! We heard cicadas, sounding like a buzz-saws, and a ventiloquial sound from the tree tops that had a dull, rhythmic quality, which we failed to identify. Midway's place is on a lawn edged beach in rainforest about 12 mi. E of town. Dart & I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening there. Wells attempted to get Midway's aboriginal servant to put on a loin cloth and act out a blow gun-hunting procedure for one but failed. Later when Midway arrived we found out that he was refracting because he did not feel he was sufficiently skilled to represent his people and did not want to create a wrong impression. Midway finally persuaded him we were not engaged in a big production and he dressed in native garb and put on a face show. I got shots of the use of the blow gun and of the rainforest across the canyon.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Ascain Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 Medway talked about various aspects of the natural history of the area. These follow snatches from memory. Tiggers have come to his yard or 3 occasions. One time his native woman servant was so frightened she dropped her child and ran and then was embarrassed afterward. Tiggers are attracted to the fruit of the durian tree. Several of these tall trees occur on Medway's property. The leaves are dark green and the tree may be over 100 ft. high. The fruits have a strong, spiny covering, are about 1 ft. in diameter and have a sweet smell. The tigers are said to eat them, and the aborigines are on edge during the fruiting season. Tiggers kill about 10 gnomina a year. There are not many around Medway's place because game is scarce. An adult or a kitten are known to be present from tracks. The rhino in Sumatra can be written off Medway thinks. An adult is worth $10,000 U.S.- hide, horn (as an aphrodisiac), meat. A poacher was fined $300 for killing one. He was still well ahead. There are perhaps 60 left in Malaya. The Slim River area is the best place to see them. Cobras, pitvipers and look-fanged snakes are poisonous species here. Medway says there are no boas.
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Feb 6, 199 Draco stays mostly near the crown I tall trees but obviously does come down once it lays its eggs in the ground. It basks on bright days and scurries around to the other side of a tree trunk when approached. It totally bob and lowers its yellow dew lap. In thick rainforest the chances I seeing one are slim. Boys bunch them down with blowgun pellets. At dusk, bats began to fly - a species about the size of a small Nycticeus and a larger one with a 1 ft. span; cicadas sang (buzz saw sound), and Bufo asper began its barking "croak", a single note that might be considered bird-like. Actually the jungle was mostly quiet, very different from the Hollywood version. Blue-green flashes of fireflies were seen. Midway and I waded up the river to look for frogs. I soon got the eye shine I several times and collected one large adult Bufo asper. In the faster water were Torrent frogs (Strombus darutensis) sitting on glistening wet boulders within 3-4 inches of foot water. They were only an inch long but gave a tiny silver eye shine. I saw 3 or 4 and all faced water. I formed to catch them I had to keep them in the light and to approach from down stream. Midway said to look for Rana macrodon, on gentle benches near the stream and I finally got the shine of one and caught it in a clump of vegetation 4 ft from the river. Although with arms & legs exposed, an invitation to biting macots we were not attacked. Perhaps it was because of the dry spell. There are malaria-carrying
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip 200 Kuala Lumpur Feb. 6 mosquitoes in the area. Medway said it was dangerous to enter the river after storms because of a shiketsai that is carried by rats which deposit urine and feces in sand bars. When the water rises the organism is carried in the water and may infect humans through the mouth a nose or cuts. It causes jaundice and sometimes central nervous system involvement. It is sometimes fatal. The blowgun is a 6-8 ft. length of bamboo with a bore 3/8" in diam. The dart is a tapered bamboo splinter with sharp end point and pith base. Plant down (and more recently cotton) is used as wading behind the pith base. The mouth piece is broad, perhaps 1 1/2 - 2" in diameter and presents a flat surface. The dart tip is dipped in a concoction from the Apoh tree and heated. The poison darts I inserted into a honey comb tube (1 bamboo?) in the bottom of a bamboo guniver covered with a woven cap which holds the down. Darts about to be used are stuck in the hair. After firing the hunter may quietly hold position until the victim is paralyzed. A good marksman can shoot accurately a distance of 30-50 ft. The dart may penetrate flesh 1/2".
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Feb. 6.. 201 In his backyard Midway has a garden f corn and Tapioca planted by his aboriginal family. The plants are in random arrangement. He has two tan-colored dogs with small fox-like ears and short straight hair. These larger are stood about 1 ft. high. He said these were the dogs of the aborigines and that their line could be traced back, virtually unchanged to the neolithic. The jungle fowl gallus g. gallus and the gibon occur near his place. We heard a pheasant and a barbet. There are some 12 species of rats. It is said there may be 100 species of trees per acre in rainforest. He expected to hear a whip-poor-will at dusk but it did not perform. The black panther is fairly common and is the spotted form. We dined on tapir stakes roasted over a woodfire outdoors.
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Stubbs, R. 1963 202 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 7 Around 10:00 a.m. visited STTI (Specialist Teacher's Training Institute) on a brief tour of town. Mr. J. Allen, the headmaster, showed us around. He is a husky, blonde, balding man in his 30s (?) with English accent, evidently a U.K. man. Among topics covered by the school are domestic science, librarianship, physical education, training for handicapped, etc. Science Science training has been part of the program but is going out since all science is going to the Primary (?) - Malayan Teachers College which will have a science bias (including math.) Allen feels the Cambridge syllabus - exam combination is on the way out. The Federation of Malaya Certificate will replace the Cambridge Exam. Indeed it is running parallel to it now. He feels that there are not enough experienced people to try to run programs like PSSC, etc. We pointed out however, that if interest developed and a request came to the U.S. for specific kinds of help that the Ford Foundation, Asia Foundation, etc. could probably help get U.S. people to assist in the program. Allen feels that Malayan scientists
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203 Feb. 7 and technologists are not sufficiently will qualified to update science materials in Malaya. The school itself was a fine modern structure, as excellent as most I've seen in the U.S. [illegible] Allen commented on the old tin mine dumps near the school, pointing out that in the old days the tailings were put anywhere it was convenient. Now the mining companies are required to restore the landscape. He said the rubber tree is deciduous but it does not loose its leaves for long and the individual trees are not synchronized. Drove to The Selangor Club to meet Mr. Jack E. James of the Asia Foundation and his assistant, Mr. Satter. James has a home in Marin Co., is on the board for the Marin Co. Museum, is much interested in natural history. He was raised on a Kansas farm and told how he early learned the roles involved in use of insecticides - long before Rachel Caron. His father sprayed to get rid of a fly and got a larger one instead. James, in my opinion has a good ecological outlook. He lamented the fact that his neighbor in Marin was landscaping with a bulldozer. In Kuala Lumpur one sees the Islamic influence - there are mosque-towers on many buildings. The fast - "Puasa" (Malay) or "Ramadan" (rest of Muslim world) is
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Stebbins, R. 1963 204 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 7 going strong - all got. Offices close at 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. No food or drink can be taken between sunrise & sunset; after that O.K. The tricycle motor scooter taxis of Delhi, Karachi & Bangkok are not seen here. The tricycle rickshaw of Calcutta is, however. It's Chinese New Year. The firecrackers are reaching a crescendo today. Feb. 8 Dart left this morning for Singapore and Hong Kong. I will go to Kuching, Sarawak, and Manila via Hong Kong during the remaining days of the trip. Visited the Peace Corps people today - Mr. Butler, the Director, his Assoc. Rep., Mr. Thomas A. Sullivan and two secondary school teachers; David Sterling from Birmingham, N.Y. and Arnold Deutschman, N.Y. Butler is a talk-balling man in his early 30's, a former Republican lawyer from San Francisco. Sullivan is a raven-haired, blackhaired, thin man in his 30's, from Kansas. He has been here only 1 mo. Deutschman, a young physics teacher, had been here 8 mos. and Sterling, a biology teacher had only been actually teaching for 2 weeks. Deutschman was the most helpful to me.
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205 Feb. 8 The first group of Peace Corps people came in Oct. 1961. There were 36 people. This was followed by a second and third group numbering 31 and 51, respectively. The headquarters of the Malaya project is at N Illinois Univ. The tour of duty is 2 yrs. These people live just like the people in the country they enter. They get no special privileges. Assignments Nov. 1, 1962 were as follows: Doctor (1), Nurses (31), laboratory technicians (7), Ministry of Education: Architects division (2), technical college staff (4), secondary school teachers (33 - 24 in science or science-math, combination). Vocational instructors (4), librarians (2). Ministry of works, posts and telecommunications: Public works department (12) - heavy equipment operators, machinists, surveyors, engineers, architects, and construction, road quarrying etc. There are also people in mechanical trades, radio, business administration teachers, medical assistants, animal husbandry, soils, forestry, etc. As Sullivan put it, where else can a young engineer just out of college have the opportunity of cutting a path through a new jungle? I just hope that our influence will not lead to "overengineering" as is occurring in the U.S., in my opinion. Out of the 35 teachers, 6 are career teachers. From Dutchman I got the following comments: A teacher can pretty well anticipate the questions on the Cambodia Exam. Because they appear.
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Slebbuis, R. 1963 204 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 8 Surveys the number of topics to be covered and knowledge of what to expect on the exam. Deutchman finds he can cover the syllabus in 2/3 or 1/2 time allotted for course, thus he feels there would be time for innovations. For example in upper & lower Form 6 time are 9 periods and 8 periods a week, respectively for physics and the students will have had already 2 yrs. of physics at 3.5 periods a week. The amount of time spent in practical work is up to the teacher. It is usually 1 lab. a week (2 periods in length). He feels PSSC would not fit into present physics program, yet at same time he said Headmaster & teacher have great latitude in setting up work. There is a great suspicion with respect to the value of American education among Malayans. A U.S. degree is worthless (or nearly so) unless it is of a specific type from a specific place (Harvard, for example). Razgan is a firm supporter of the U.K. system. However, he is to be sent to U.S. Perhaps this will temper his views. All Malaysians seem to want to go to the U.S. Deutchman feels the best approach
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207 Feb 8 to bringing about underdevelopment of science education is to bring key people to the U.S. They will go back and work for changes. This is better than for us to try to bring about change directly. He suggests using the approach of the summer seminars (NSF) to which senior people can be brought. Ministry people in Malaya are terribly busy. Tan, for example, is cruelly overworked. There are few good people. As a result they have little time to give to curriculum reform, new ideas, etc. Deutschman said the Malay school teacher is in general not devoted to his work. He seeks every opportunity to slough it off - does the minimum to cover the syllabus. He feels it would be a great boon to the country if some philanthropic agency could print American text books, new curriculum materials or other reference works in inexpensive form. The Malayan cannot afford to buy our books. Sterling referred to the secondary school program in science as a tunnel education. The student emerges knowing the configuration of the surrounding walls but knows little beyond and desires to explore little beyond.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 208 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 8 Deutschman feels BSCS, PSSC, etc. are oriented toward preparing students for college careers in science. This is not needed on such a grand scale in Malaya. U.K. equipment to outfit the secondary school physics course is about 10-12 times more expensive than U.S., ($2500 vs $200) - PSSC approach. Form 5 exams, mostly repeat experiments done before in class. Feb. 9 Dr. Dahlqvist and Dave Wells drove me to the sea-coast town of Klang and thence 4 1/2 mi. north to a coconut grove where Wells has seen Draco. Enroute we passed through many rubber plantations. The milky sap was being collected in some groves. The tree came from Brazil. There is no native rubber. A fresh cut is made each morning. The sap flows for 1 or 2 hrs. into a small collecting cup. The contents are gathered thereafter, and the cups turned over down. One can see the old scars from previous cuts. Cuts are started at a height of 6-8 ft. and end up near ground level.
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209 Feb. 9 Young trees are planted close together and sap is drawn at an early age, as they get larger they are thinned out. Willx says sometimes the leaf fall is pretty well synchronized but that soon the trees are decked in fresh green. We also passed through old tin mining dumps near K. L. Tin is mined by the "Placer" U.S term method. A jet of water is sprayed on the ore-bearing shale and the shale is carried down troughs into cross cleats. The tin lodges behind the cleats. The procedure is like "Placer" mining for gold in the U.S. Tin is a breakdown product of granite. In the hills are a few fertile valleys, the soil of which can withstand repeated plantings but in general the soil will take only 2 or 3 crops and then must be treated with fertilizer or slaked lime. There is much red laterite soil in Malaya. I learned that the population of Malaya is something over 6 million, and the country of is regarded as sparsely populated. See species account for observations on Draco. The Indian Crow was introduced in Klang about 60 years ago to control volatiles. The bird persists and is now considered somewhat of a pest.
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Stubbsia, R. 1963 210 Action Trip Singapore to Kuching, Sarawak Feb. 10 Left Singapore airport at 7:45 a.m. on MAL Flight # 488 (4 engine Viscount), after overnight stay at Ambassador Hotel. Met a Bob Armanon of Standard Oil Co., New Jersey, returning from conference in Australia. At least in B oil field he doubts the wisdom of stressing basic research in chemistry in India. Why put effort into some- things the West has a huge lead on? He did concede, however, that in other aspects of chemistry directed such as those turned exploitation of potential? native flora, basic research for Indian chemists makes sense. Flight over Singapore brought to view large tracts of coconut palms, bananas, and generally lush green aspect mingled with both modern and old human structures. According to Dave Wells, Draco is to be found in Singapore. Flew out over an archipelago set in pea green water. The bottom can be seen around the islands. -crystal- -water extremely clear. We are flying at 15000 ft, above more or less extensive cloud cover. Thin cirrus above us. Follow travelers on plane includes a few cockroaches. As we came over the southwest tip of Borneo we encountered rough weather. It was the roughest plane ride I've had, perhaps exaggerated a bit by the fact that
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211 Feb. 10 I sat in the last seat. A few anxious moments as we bounced and sweared down through the clouds. It was raining and the cloud ceiling was at perhaps 500 ft. Coconut and Nipah palms seen as we came in for landing. We also crossed some orange(?) swamps and tortuous turbid mires. Everything wet. At the airport were two mobile guns on caterpillar treads - Tank like vehicles, and at the hotel military personnel were seen. This is an area of unrest. An overcast dreary day. About 5:30 went out near my hotel, the Burma, and looked about. Found the sensitive plant again, some in bloom with "fuzzy" pink blossoms, growing like a weed along the border of a play field and drainage ditch. In a hedge now tangle, I found 3 leaf ant nests (Oecophylla) The ants had bound up a cluster of leaves "Kerenga" To make a compact mass 3-4" across. (The Indian name) The ants stood about on and near their nest. They were inactive because of the overcast and rain. When I put my hand in to feel the nest two were soon on me. A slim striped lizard with bright lemon yellow throat and neck was seen about 3 ft. off the ground on the S side of the growth but it dropped out of sight when prepared to catch it. It was colored much like Gerhousness galeric but had duller scales.
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February, R. 1963 2/12 Asian Trip Kuching Feb. 10 There were snails of two species crawling about over the wet vegetation. Numbers of birds were heard and seen, one a swift, Mr. Dickson, the Director of Education told me that the swift that makes an edible nest from its saliva is here. At 6:00 p.m. Mr. M. Dickson arrived as planned at my hotel. We visited for about 3 1/2 hours and had dinner together. He is the Director of Education for all of Sarawak and has been here since 1947. He is a man about early or mid 50, shorter than I but stockier, has dark, graying wavy hair, brown eyes and a thin straight nose. He was very friendly, attentive, and informative. He speaks with an English accent and is of British origin. He commented on a variety of topics. When I described "guidelines" and the new U.S. curriculum and asked whether there was any desire or opportunity to experiment educationally in Sarawak, he remarked that he felt there was less chance here than Malaysia because of the backward condition of education. They are just now trying to get science started and are getting some advice from people who have worked in New Zealand. They have a syllabus recently published which they plan to use. He felt it important in such an under-
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Feb. 10 Developed country as framework to have the binding influence that uniform standards of education would help to bring. There would be strong objection to the kind of experimentation I described because such a premium is placed on meeting the questions prescribed. The Catholics are especially efficient in covering all loopholes. They examine past examinations, check all books ever used, ask for advice what books may be used. They may start students many years in advance on certain topics, knowing that in the end they will be on the exam., in the hope that they can get their students through. Dickson tries very hard to come up with new questions and the examinations become a game between the teachers and examiners, each trying to outwit the other. The Catholics would be opposed to the program I describe and would, as they have with other efforts to bring change, try to impede it; Dickson thinks. The reason there is such a drive toward passing the exams. is that success can mean a government job or other favored position. It can mean the difference between a quibbling existence and living well. I described the experiment on sorting time in seeds, described in the "guidelines," and asked if questions could not be devised to test the ability of the student to proceed scientifically to get an answer to a question. One might say, 'If you
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Stebbins, R. 1963 214 Asian Trip Nuching Feb. 10 wished to find out what the effect I seeking true was on the germination of corn, how would your proceed?" The student would be graded on the soundness of his approach and presumably those who had had discovery experience in the lab. would be the more successful. Dickson liked the idea. I described my work with elementary school children on biological topics outdoors. He said students in Sarawak have little interest beyond collecting. A few enjoy that part but then they lose interest. Such studies would be regarded as useless because they would not help on the exams. Evidently the school sequence here is as in Malaya - grades 1-6, elementary, then come the Forms through 6. After Form 3 (the 9th grade) comes the LCE (Lower Certificate of Education) exam., after Form 5 the HCE and after Form 6 (2 yrs. in length), the University entrance exam. There are both government and private schools. The government has a program given to the private institutions, really a very substantial sum in view of the small size of the country. Dickson is obviously unhappy with the attitude of most of the Chinese. They stick together and I not decisive I
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Feb. 10 becoming assimilated by the country. They want to stand apart and resist educational processes that would lead to them merging with the rest of the population. They look down on the Malayas and rather picture themselves in the role of a colonial power as the English in Australia. They produce unrest by calling attention to the fact that many Chinese work hard and yet have a poor existence, yet "they", a term not well defined work short hours and lease big shiny black cars. They begin with the young children and the process of indoctrination of hatred goes on through their schools. Those who look promising as leaders are picked and soon they have aggressive aggressive, active supports of Chinese Communism. Actually, Dickson says the Chinese are well off. Recently, during the Brunei revolt, they locked up a few for security reasons, just as Singapore has done. The ethnic groups and religions here seem to be as in Malaya. There are Malayas, Chinese, a few Indians and English. Religions are Muslim, Christianity, Animism, Animism centers around the rice paddy. About 1/3 of the people are Dayaks, the first descendants of the aborigines that first came to Borneo. These are mostly hunting and food gathering people but they now have paddies and fill out with hunting. They live in long communal houses and are pagan. The sea Dayaks engage in fishing. Dickson commented on the uprising in Brunei, a rich country with so much revenue
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Stebbing R. 1963 2/6 Asian Trip Kuching Feb. 10 from oil, the sultan had provided free school lunches, free education, pension system, etc. The cause of the uprising was not clear. The rebel leader wasn't even in the country when it occurred, hence it was abortive and was quickly put down with little blood shed. Suggestions have been - the communists were seeking power, the people were dissatisfied (yet the sultan was liked and had done well for the people), it was a camouflaged Indonesian attack. Some of the people in northern Sarawak became involved. Why did they help? Dickson went into the history of Sarawak a bit. There have been 3 English Rajahs, the first was a good man who gained great respect and whose influence to this day causes the people in the longhouse to be friendly with the white man. He stopped piracy on the highways, for which he was criticized as a meddler by the people in the home country. His son also was a good ruler. The last Rajah, who is still alive, and who finally decided rule by a single family was an anachronism, should have educated the people, but didn't. Dickson thinks little of him. Head hunting is passé. Formerly it was a way of showing bravery and there were religious connotations. The women apparently encouraged the men in head-taking. They
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Feb 10 would taunt those who had not taken a head. When a head was brought in they would play catch with it. Heads were sought among enemies and a woman's a child's head indicated the hunter had gotten in close where there was great risk. Heads were given plenty of food and were treated with respect. Very few white man have been killed for their heads. The country along the coast is subject to flooding. A river may rise and fall many feet. The combination of heavy rainfall, the backing up action of the tide, and the mountainous back country is responsible. Mr. Dickson said he used to criticize the people for building their schools on hills. The soil there is usually poor and the school garden is essential since many students are boarders, there is no place for a playground. Now he has changed his views. The school building is often the only structure that survives flooding and times serves as a temporary shelter following disasters. Indonesia, consisting of Sumatra, Java, east Borneo and W New Guinea, is an unfriendly neighbor. They are engaged, with the help of Russia, in a tremendous military build up which they claim is for defense. Dickson doubts it. Over 100 yrs ago much of the larger animal life had already been destroyed by the intensive hunting of the Dayaks. Although the rhinos is now protected it is a useless law because the Rhino is probably extinct. There are still orangutans, crocodiles (dangerous), clouded cats. There are ostriches, very cobras, fruit bats. Even birds
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Stebbins, R. 1963 2/18 Asian Trip Kuching Feb. 10 have been hard hit by hunting. Dickson used to collect butterflies, fossils and other natural history material. A frog chorus got underway about 9:00 p.m. and I heard it going strong every time I woke up. Now at 6:45 a.m., only an occasional frog is heard and the amphibian voices have been replaced by birds. Two books on the Rajahs recommended by Dickson - Halim, Emily; “The Rajah of Sarawak” and Runciman, Steven; “The White Rajahs.” Feb. 11 Mr. Dickson arrived to take me to the St. Joseph’s School (Roman Catholic), probably the best school in the country at the upper secondary level, Broth. Hillary in charge. There are 650 secondary students and 850 primary. Some of the latter are going to another school. Form 6 is included and is attended by both boys and girls; the rest of the school caters to boys. I met John North, school inspector at the secondary level and Clive Reate who, with two other New Zealanders familiar with curriculum reform in New Zealand, are involved in syllabus revision at the junior secondary level (Form 1-3). These men have been brought in by the Department of Education & have been here a few days.
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Feb. 11 The school system is just now making science compulsory in junior secondary, in the light of the New Zealand study. In Form 1 it has been compulsory for only 3 weeks (the new semester has just started). Bro. Hillary said general science tends to relate to the local agriculture. To familiarize the teachers with the new science program they have had a six week workshop. There are 3/4 million people in Sarawak; only 120 students go to Form 6. The Education Department is trying to introduce compulsory education in grades 1-6. There are more private than government secondary schools but 70 % of the primary schools are governmental. There are private schools aided by grants from the government but only schools that take students from the 30% passed group get such support. LCE questions or exams are prepared by the local educational authorities but the ACE exam, is prepared by Cambridge as is college entrance exam, following Form 6. The universities at Singapore and K.L. are willing to devise these exams for the higher levels but the local people prefer the Cambridge exam. Overseas status is much greater if students has covered the Cambridge material and has passed the exam. If the local Dept. of Education were to request a change in the examination attention would be given the request and if a reasonable one the chances are a change would occur. Indeed, Cambridge sends out people from time to time to see
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February R. 1963 220 Borneo Trip Kuching Feb. 11 if a change is needed. However, the desire of local people are not always met. Bro. Hillery said a request was put in for questions on the economic development of Sarawak. Instead the exam called for an economic survey of Malaysia, a much more complicated problem. Questions are to appear in future exams. On Borneo, at request of local people to get off one emphasis on Malaya. Neate then took me to the Saint Thomas' School near the hotel. As in the previous school, the science teachers are Indian. In the biology lab. I talked to P. V. Joy, a biologist, and P. R. Thampi, a chemist. The latter seemed to be the more knowledgeable of the two. The biology lab. was very poorly equipped. Virtually no preserved specimen collection, few models, few work tables but there were 5 standard microscopes. Mr. Joy emphasized the great handicap in the lack of equipment and that there were no botanical and zoological gardens nearby. I countered by suggesting that I had seen many insects, interesting local plants (the sensitive plant, for example) during my brief stay, and that these common organisms in the school yard might be used.
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221 Feb. 11 Joy had little comment. I noted that many of the students in the adjoining physics lab. were Chinese. It came out that because I a more erudite have background and emphasis on math in elementary school in the Chinese schools, that selection favors the Chinese 2/3 of the students that reach Form 1 are said to be Chinese. The Malays tend to do better in the arts stream. Schools in the backcountry do little with science topics. Furthermore the poorer Malayan students come from poor homes. If there is a crop failure, a boy may have to drop out of form 6 to take a job to help his parents. I found that Mr. Thampi was familiar with the CBA. We feels there is little point in taking time out for historical aspects in the physical sciences. It may even be confusing to some students. Once when he was presenting Dalton's atomic theory I used indivisible atoms, a student protested that atoms were divisible. Mr. Joy appears to be a person who despairs of teaching biology because of equipment shortages. Mr. Nate said he has continually hoped to see a few live animals in the lab but there is nothing. The Form 5 level now requires a habitat approach. Thampi felt one way to up-grade science teaching would be to have work shops in a Singapore school that is using PSSC. Teachers could be sent for training. The Colombo plan is doing a good
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asian Trip Kuching Feb. 11 job in Sarawak. Some 22 countries are involved in Colombo, either as donor or recipient countries - Canada, Great Britain, and the U.S., Aus., New Zealand are among those involved. I believe it was started in 1950. Its primary aim has been economic aid to S & SE Asia and stress has been on hydroelectric development, fertilization of depleted lands, dam construction, etc. By 1955 it was realized the Communists could provide such things too and a small percentage of aid began to go to social developments, including education (about 5%). In response to Sarawak's request for educational aid, the Colombo Plan has provided 18 out of 37 Canadian graduate volunteers. In addition there are 10 Australians, 9 New Zealanders, 25 Peace Corps people. The latter are mostly concerned with community development and the 4-H program. Eight Peace Corps people are in secondary school education. An English parallel is the Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO). These are high school graduates who come for 1 year before going to the University, or they are apprentices in British firms.
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123 Feb. 11. Most economic aid required by Sarawak comes from the British Colonial Development Program and Welfare Fund. This agency has poured in millions of pounds with no effort to get recognition. The Colombo Plan also sends out local people on scholarships. The headquarters of the program is at Colombo, Ceylon. One can get brochures on experts from the U.S.A., and other donor nations. Most of the foregoing information came from Colin and Gloria Smith (address - c/o Education Dept., Kuching), Canadians who have been in the country nearly 3 years on the plan. They emphasize the fine cosmopolitan atmosphere that is developing from contacts among the great variety of people engaged in a common effort to elevate the lot of the common man. After having lunch with the Smiths I photographed the leaf nest ants and saw them using their larvae to stitch together the leaves. Inside the nest was a swarming mass of ants. Stopped at the Education Department headquarters and said goodbye to Mr. Dickson and others. I learned from Nestle that he has collected many plants and is quite an expert on the local flora. Saw a blow-gun made from a single piece of wood. The hole is lined with a wood shaft tipped with metal
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Asia Trip 224 Kuching Feb. 11 and the wood chops are floated out. The gun is waled in a vertical position with a slight bend in it so that when the metal spear is attached and held in proper position, the bar will be straight. Lighting through it, the bar was as slimy and straight as a gun barrel. The spear tip is used to dispatch the paralyzed animal. Wate said there are few birds around Kuching. They have been killed off for food. A fish Tolpia ? is cultured. The animal eats algae and will grow to a weight of a pound & a half in a year. Wate took me to the Betui Lintang Training College directed by Father Rawline, an Anglican. He has a BSc. Rawline was a large rugged, gork natured man with heavy black eye- brows. He had a real appreciation for "Nature Next Don" and work with cosmon plants & animals. He formerly was principal of a government school. This is the only Training college in Sarawak and it covers all grades but stresses elementary school training.
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225 Feb. 11. I learned that about 2 years ago, when Neate came to Kuching, he started a Science Teachers Association of Sarawak (STAS). Thampi is currently president. I got the names of the examinations followed in Sarawak. They are put out by the Univ. of Cambridge Local Exams. Syndicate. Syllabuses, Science Subjects 1961, General Certificate of Education (ordinary level) and School Certificate Exam (Form 4 & 5). The Secretary Syndicate Block Buildings, Cambridge, U.K. One should also ask for the Higher School Certificate (Form 6). I had tea at Neate's. While at his home I had a look at the carnivorous pitcher plant and a plucked a sample to take home. It is a climbing vine type. N*** Neate then drove me to the airport. One of his two sons came along. There were many military men present armed with side arms, sten? guns and mobile artillery. There have been rumours of attacks on villages near the east Borneo border - Kamping, for example. Flew out under a cloud ceiling. It has been raining for many weeks. Surlyin country with many muddy
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Slebritz, R. 226 1963 Kuching Asian Trip Feb. 11 meandering streams. The Smiths said the clearing of the forest had augmented the flood problem. About halfway across the South China Sea the clouds began to break up and we came into Singapore with a magnificent view of the city with its lights twinkling and boat lights reflected in the lagoon. The flight back was far less rough than the trip to Kuching. To return to Father Millary - he feels there ought to be more use of reptiles in biology studies in Sarawak because they are so hardly prevalent. He laments the prejudice that people have toward these animals. The Teacher Training school is a magnificent modern structure, although I feel the architect got a little carried away. Mate said they spent so much money on the physical plant there, they had little left over for other schools. Feb. 12 Stayed at a Chinese Hotel, The New Country Hotel, about 3 miles from the airport. Left at 7:30 a.m. A bird was singing in the garden as I left. The hotel manager called it a brown cuckoo. It smiled
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2-7 Feb. 12 a little like a mockingbird, I caught a glimpse of a slender brown bird with buff face. Perhaps it was the sugar. Left airport at 9:00 a.m. We will gain ½ hr. on trip to Hong Kong. Enroute we stop at Bangkok. Many coconut groves around Singapore. Cathay Pacific jet Flight # 724. Beautiful new plane. 9:20 a.m. Flying along coast over apple green water stained brown opposite river mouths, where silt pours out. Much wild growth, here and there cut out for farms. Cotton planting of rubber trees (?) noted as around K.L. 9:30 a.m. Over mountainous section grown extensively to jungle. Tremendous uncut wild area. The N-S mountainous ribs of the central Peninsula are on the horizon to the W. Scattered "cotton tuff" clouds below us, a high thin series above. 9:47 a.m. Leaving Malay coast for flight across Bay of Siam. Water near shore blue-green changing to cerulean blue further out. Extensive coastal plain with patches of pines. Cloud puffin now! Altitude 36,100 feet, ground speed 600 mi. per hr. Arrival time Bangkok 10:20 a.m. (time now in Bangkok 9:22 a.m.). 8 passengers (24 seats) in 1st class. Flight to Hong Kong at 37000 ft., 620 mi/ per hr. Arrived Hong Kong about 2:30 p.m. Came down through cloud layer but good visibility below.
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Stubrics, R. 1963 Asian Trip 228 Hong Kong Feb. 12 Stayed in the Park Hotel Kowloon, a city built on a peninsula. To the N liep the New Territories and Communist China; to the S across a narrow strait (2) 1/2 mi wide lies Hong Kong Island. My hotel window looked out over the channel and island. About 1 a.m. I looked out and the streets were wet. What looked like snow was falling just my window but I learned the next day from my tour guide that he had not seen snow in Hong Kong during his life twice (since 35 yrs). Went with a Mr. & Mrs. James Hall (retired shoe merchant) on a tour of the New Territories. The driver was an affable young Chinese who spoke good English. He made many stops so we could take photographs. Highlights of the trip were as follows: The refugee area N of Kowloon where tousands of people live in block-like buildings 8-10 stories high. Very colorful with many clothes out to dry and people crowded in the market place. Small girls carrying babies on their backs. The floating families in their small boats. The rice fields & vegetable gardens. People watering the gardens with geared sprinklers suspended from a shoulder carried
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29 Feb. 12. Crosobar. Vegetable gardens growing on beach sand. Water is obtained from wells. Men carrying pigs to market in baskets on the rear of bicycles. Waterbuffaloes but short horned, quite different from those seen in Bangkok. Fish culture ponds where the fish, the "black hat" is reared. It has a yellow oil in its head, according to "Blacks" our driver. The oil is steamed out for its vitamins. The flesh is also good. The fish feed on algae & cooked rice. The fish have black color on top of their head hence the name. Saw huts or stilts. Stopped at Yuen Long (Un Long), a small town, for photography. At Lok Ma Chau we stopped for a look at Communist China. A river with fence marks the dividing line. We could see the city of Shuen Chun over the border. Boats come down the Peal River for trade with Hong Kong. There is active trade going on between Communist China & the pkt city. Refugees are allowed into Hong Kong at the rate of 50 a day. Saw people digging out olmbake (illegible) dark soil for transport to town when it is sold for fertiliser. Tened rice fields. In the afternoon to the afternoon we took the ferry to Hong Kong delayed and photographed Chinese women working mixing cement.
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Stubbs R. 1963 Asian Trip 230 Manilla, Philippines Feb. 13 Left Hong Kong at 8:45 p.m., Thai jet flight # 702 to Manila. Arrived in Manila at 9:20 p.m. but did not get to my hotel until after 11:00 p.m. because airport bus was held up waiting for an international skating troop, "Holiday on Ice". Feb. 14 At 8:30 a.m. Mr. Generoso J. Gel, Jr (pronounced Gell), of the program staff of the Asia Foundation (L & S Bldg., 1414 Dewey Blvd., Manila) arrived to inform me that my cable had been received and a schedule prepared. Mr. Judge, the representative, however, was getting married and I would be cared for by Gel. We went first to the Philippine Normal College where I met a group of science instructors and the head of the Normal College Natural Science Dept. The school is a State College. The following persons present have requested copies of "guidelines": Mrs. Emilia S. Vito, Mrs. Rosa A. Lopez (Claro Recto High School, Sampaloc), Mrs. Esther S. Reyes (Philippine Normal College Laboratory School), Mrs. Asuncion G. Zapata, Mrs. Araceli M. Villamin, Dr. Soledad Samonte (Director, Laboratory School, Philippine Normal College), Mrs. Josefina A. Vicente (Head, Science Dept.), Dr. Dionisio
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Feb. 14: Garzon (Head Practical Arts Dept., Philippine Normal College), Miss Aquilina M. Obana, Mrs. Constancia P. Villahermos (sp?); Mr. Daniel S. Oreta, Mr. Juan Mantoya, Mrs. Virginia P. Blanco, Hero. Aurora Mr. Tomas P. Talia, Villamil (sp?), Mr. Jose G. Cabrera, and Mr. Teofilo E. Espejo (all of the Natural Science Dept., Philippine Normal College), All names listed not identified as to connection are people from the Normal College. I was given a summary I purpose [illegible] the college which is called Heicarth. The college was founded under the American regime but now, of course, is completely run by Filipinos. The school train high school and elementary school teachers. A laboratory school is associated with it. The group was very much interested in the guidelines material and thought it would be especially helpful in teacher training programs and as a guide to educational administrators. I learned there was one Univ. of Philippines, a number of private colleges, education and a National Teacher's College. Highschool students can major in [illegible] biology, general science, physics, and chemistry; the latter two fields have been offered only scantily. In the elementary school about 30 min. a day is allotted for science in grades 1-4 and 40 min. in grades 5 & 6. The students get general science. One teacher commented the fact that science
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Stubbeiz, R. 1963 233 Ocean Trip Manila Feb. 14 was not integrated with social studies. She feels the latter arrangement would make the subject more meaningful. We are trying to get away from this now in the U.S. In grades 1-2, the children study the native language. In grade 4 they get instruction in English. This began last June. The public elementary schools follow a prescribed curriculum, thus the normal school must fall in line. Gardening is one of the requirements, thus every normal school student has 10 weeks of this. The gardening program has been going on since before the war. I visited several classes in the laboratory school which is physically attached to the college. One class went into the garden and the teacher asked questions about why the water fell toward the earth when the faucet was turned on and why the water dripped when it was turned off. A comparison was asked for with respect to a water lily and papaya plant growing in the garden. One little girl demonstrated that a water lily had a soft body by going limp. In the garden were lettuce and peaches and a member of normal school
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Feb. 14 234 Students gardening. There are some 400 students in the normal school and some 100 in the colabatory school. There are 8 regular normal schools. I met Dr. Emiliano C. Ramirez, the president of the Normal School and learned we would be leaving in the same plane for Honolulu. We then went to the Philippine College of Arts and Trade where I met Mr. Mr. G. Data and saw several shops_ a metal shop with about 15 lathes, a wood shop where the boys were doing inlay work with bamboo. Dark colored bamboo is made by baking in mud to excess growth of fungus and mildew then treated chemically to inhibit the growth and insect attack. I saw checkerboard, table tops, etc. done in inlay. of instruction: I met the Dean, Dr. Jose Vergara. Chemistry & physics in the school is applied in the laboratory part but theory is given in lecture. The Arts & Trade school is involved in teacher training. Many of the students fill the gap between the skilled worker and the professional engineer. There is a great demand for students of this type. Some 18 technical courses are available.
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Stolnic R. 1963 Asian Trip 235 Manila Feb. 14 The school handles 2500 students, 300 are preparing to teaching. The rest will go into industry. 1250 are on evening courses. Printing, welding, refrigeration, metal shops, foundry shop, mechanical drawing are courses taught. 5th & 6th grade students are available for practice teaching. After their visit I had lunch with the science group + was quite a valentine. In the afternoon we went to Arellano Highschool to visit science classes. I met Miss Visitacion Mendoza, Head of the Natural Science Dept. I saw stuffed birds, prepared specimens, models, etc., mostly prepared by the students. Local high Sci Fair entries. The highschools are encouraged to have science fairs. There is a National Science Fair every 2 yrs. Each school has a vocational department that helps with equipment and school construction. The schools follow a syllabus developed by the Department of Education. In Manila the teachers have considerable leeway in the development of syllabus topics but
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Feb. 14." in the provinces they hold closely to the prescribed program. Examinations on syllabus material are conducted by the Dept. of Education. I learned that at the University of the Philippines they were trying out the green version of BSCS and adapting it to the country by changing the examples. University biologists are helping with this. After this summer the plan is to try to get gradual adoption of the green version in the schools. Grobman came through about 3 months ago and gave advice on the selection of BSCS material. The green version seemed most suitable for the country. Schools are crowded. One high school had at one time 11,000 students. It was bigger than Harvard. This was about 4 yrs. ago. Such large schools are now being broken up. Visited shops at Arellano. Talked to one of the teachers who had had 10 months training abroad on the Colombo plan. He equipped his shop through the plan. The Philippine government has now allotted $1 million for such shop developments.
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Stebbins R. 1963 237 Asian Trip Manila Feb. 14 Visited Magasayag Highschool, named after the former president of the Philippines who was killed in an air crash in 1956. Magasayag was well-liked. He was devoted to the poor and opposed to Communism. Construction was underway on a new wing. Some 52 schools in Manila are involved in building. Only in Manila is there free education, including free texts. This started this year and even includes free snack. Visited a biology class that had been studying conservation. A skit was put on by the students, entitled, "The day after the field trip." The students brought out the importance of conserving soil, water, wildlife, forests, etc. The school is on 4 shifts - 6:50 to 10:20 a.m. p.m. Mrs. Imperatriz Coriso was in charge of the biology class (3rd yr.). We visited the school museum. Saw collections of shells, mounted birds (in natural bat shape), models of clothing styles, etc. I was given a shell to take to my daughters. Mrs. Amparo Magareth, head of the science department was in charge of the museum.
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Feb. 14 '28 A few odd ends: There are decorated, large wheeled horse-drawn carriages here called “Calecas”. The Filipinos say they got their religion from Spain, their education from the U.S., and a slap from Japan. One percent of the populace is Protestant, the rest is Catholic. Saw a fat area that served as an internment camp during the war for American soldiers held by the Japanese. It is now occupied by the University Santo Tomas. The war set the country behind in science. 8:15 p.m. Went to the Overseas Press Club on Dewey Blvd., a few doors from my Hotel (Filipinas Hotel). Mr. Gil picked me up. Met Dr. Benjamin B. Villasanta, Science Supervisor Division of City Schools – Manila, City Hall. Villasanta said the city schools were democratic with respect to the teaching of science and that teachers were allowed considerable leeway to develop their material. Also present was Mr. Florencio Solivent, Chief, Division of Development and Assistance, Nat. Sci. Dev. Board (NSDB). I forgot to mention that in the late afternoon we visited a flower show at the Paco Cemetery. I was intrigued by the
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Stebbins, R. 1963 239 Ocean Trip Manila Feb. 14 following Chinese proverb: "If you want to be happy for a few hours, drink wine until your head spins 'gaily'. If you want to be happy for a weekend get married and hide away. If you want to be happy for a week, kill a tender pig and eat it. If you want to be happy all your life long ... become a gardener." Secret of Happiness: Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino martyr, killed by the Spanish is buried at Paco. The massive walls are shell-pitted from the last war. The Japanese held out there. At the garden show I saw the fruit of the "Bunga" or beetle-nut palm which people chew as a narcotic. They mix lime with it and it is said the lime inhibits tooth decay and is chiefly responsible for the narcosis. The fruit is yellow and about the size of a small lemon. Feb. 15 This morning I met with the group from the Bureau of Public Schools of the Department of Education. The following persons were present: Dr. Licoria B. Sarriano, Supt. of Science Education; Dr. Emilio H. Severino, in charge, Special Subjects and Services Division; Mr. Tomas
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Feb. 15 240 Maglaya, Supt. of Secondary Education; Mr. Aurelio Juele, Supervisor of Science Education; Dr. Luz Sangalang, Supervisor of Science Education; Mrs. Angeles Villavert, Supervisor of Science Education; Mr. Julio Barona, Science Teaching Aid Specialist; Miss Carolina Perez (sp?), Science Curriculum Coordinator; ~~Mr. Jose Cruz, Secondary Education Supervisor; Miss Perita (sp?) Quinto, Math. Curriculum Coordinator; Mr. Guillermo (sp?) Cobanilla, Science Curriculum Coordinator; Mrs. Pilar Cosico, Assist. Curriculum Coordinator (Math.). Later I met Dr. Dolores Hernandez, Secretary, Graduate College of Education, U.P., Chairman BSCS group. I learned from the group that PSSC materials have been examined by the summer science institutes, as has CBA. CBA has been criticized on the basis of being too difficult for both teachers and students and requiring equipment difficult to provide. Further Schmidt, however, feels objection on basis of equipment can be overcome by showing critical experiments as demonstrations or on film. Harvey White's "Controlled Classroom" series in physics is being shown throughout the country; I believe under the auspices of NSF of the Philippines. PSSC has also been criticized as rather too difficult for the Philippines. I stopped in briefly at the U.S. Embassy to see Miss Carol Harford, Cultural Affairs Officer. (Wm. H. Stevenson is Ambassador). John Esterline on Foreign Leader Program of the Dept. of State; I believe. Miss Harford suggested I contact the following persons:
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Assist Trip 241 Manila Feb. 15 Roman Torongo, Superintendent of Schools, Manila; Julita Santos, Supervisor of Science Education, Secondary Schools, Manila; Father Kaligbak, Rector and President of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The latter was sent recently to visit, study, discuss, and consult with people in the U.S. on Sci. Education; hovever, I discovered upon being shown his itinerary and list of contacts that he had evidently not been put in touch with the people involved in the new curriculum studies! Miss Harford, herself, seemed only vaguely aware of them. At the Univ. of Philippines 10 teachers are finishing a year course on BSCS materials. This summer adoption of the green version will be completed. CBA and PSSC programs are regarded as a little difficult for Philippine teachers. Their background needs to be upgraded. CHEM, honors, might work. The above 10 teachers are going to use the green version of BSCS in 10 highschools. There are 249 general highschools, 170 vocational schools and over 1000 private schools in the country. The Bureau people said one of the main problem is supplies, including manuals.
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Feb. 15. There is also the problem I lack qualified teachers. The U.P. is now planning courses in science design for teachers. A Convention and Conference of Scientists and Teachers had as a theme, "The Development of skills of creative thinking." Mrs. Luz Sangalang drove me to U.P., about 10 miles out. I took to the Teacher Training School where I met Dean Morales. He has been stressing science in the training program despite the fact that his background is in non-science areas. Mrs. Sangalang is an alumnae. At the school we met Miss Dolores Hernandez, chairman of the BSCS group. It was obvious these two intelligent, energetic young women were enthusiastic about the BSCS prospects. Ralph Wilson, a New Zealander in the Philippines on a Colombo-UNESCO grant, prepared a physics course for the high schools (UNESCO 1960 Physics for Philippine Schools). A chemistry course is being developed in a summer writing session involving chemistry professors, teachers and educators working together. Mrs. Sangalang said BSCS started a year ago last June. J. Orion, president of ABIS advised on the program in the Philippines but he was killed in a plane crash recently.
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Stebbins R. 1963 Ocean Trip 243 Manila Feb. 15 It was through him that communication was set up with BSCS. Jane and Victoria Zarson are coming from the U.S. to help with the Philippine BSCS. The program has the support of the University of the Philippines - professors, materials, office help, professional collaboration of Bureau of Public Schools and teachers from the Bureau. Teachers are assigned to the project and supported by the Bureau. Dr. Dolores Hernandez is the project director. The adaptation draft of the green version is to be out by the end of the summer and it is hoped to get the 10 teachers started with the new materials by July. The material will be taught for one year and Mrs. Sangalang and a teacher will evaluate. Over a thousand texts are to come from BSCS. I learned that Japan was interested in the blue version. The National Public Educational System in the Philippines is basically an elementary school system. 75% of the school population is to be found there. 60% drop out and there is no further education.
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249 Feb. 15. Last summer there was a writing session on elementary school science. "Suggested Science Concepts and Experiences for Grades I-VI" by the Elementary Science Workshop, Summer, 1962. The Peace Corps has started to use this material. There is a UNESCO and Philippine Gov't program for training teachers from SE Asia. Thirty people are involved, all in teacher education. All are senior people. The Asia Foundation is involved through its fellowship program. Miss Hernandez was interested in my fly cage and I promised to send her a copy of the plan for the cage. Her address is Graduate College of Education, Univ. of Philippines. A source of laboratory equipment in Manila is the Salesian (SOB) Fathers - the Society of San Bosco. They specialize in running technical schools. One institute is producing lab. equipment. At 5:00 pm, left for Honolulu on PAA flight #818. 45 min. stop at Guam. Arrived at Honolulu at 10:35 a.m. John Hendrickson picked me up at the airport and I spent the afternoon at his home. That evening I attended a meeting of "Club 15" and their program entitled "East Meets West in Hawaii".
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Philippine Normal College NATURAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT The Science Department has about twenty faculty members and one laboratory assistant. Classes in science runs to about seventy-five or more sections per semester. These include the undergraduate day, evening, and Saturday classes. The increasing number of science classes have made existing facilities even more inadequate. There are only three laboratory rooms used by the Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Physical Science classes. Most of the laboratory equipment were procured by the college. Some have been donated by the UNESCO. New equipment and apparatus were recently received from ICA (AID) - NEC Program. The following are the objectives in teaching the basic sciences in the four-year curriculum: 1. To help carry out the fifth general objectives of education promulgated by the National Board of Education: "To promote the science, arts and letters for the enrichment of life and the recognition of the dignity of the individual." 2. To endeavor to attain the major objectives of science education through varied activities in and out of the classroom. These major objectives are: a. To develop a functional understanding of facts, concepts, and principles of science. b. To develop the ability to use the scientific method. c. To develop basic skills, appreciations, and further interests in science. d. To develop desirable social attitudes. 3. To encourage leadership, group dynamics, as well as individual efforts and ingenuity. 4. To encourage and guide the students in the proper use of the different scientific equipment and apparatus available in the department. 5. To develop the creative and scientific abilities of students in the construction and use of inexpensive equipment (made out of local materials) in science teaching. Beginning the year 1962-1963, new science curriculum has been implemented which increases the requirement from fifteen to seventeen units in basic science courses. Three of these units are in College Mathematics. Another course in Basic Mathematics is required of students although they do not earn credit for it. The science subjects are:
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NATURAL SCIENCE DPT. (Cont'd.) Science 101 - Physical Sciences - 3 units Science 202 - Biology - 3 units Science 203 - Earth Science (Physical Geography) - 3 units Science 304 - Science for the Elem. School Teacher - 3 units Science 305 - Physics - 3 units All the courses above meet four days a week; one or two hours are devoted to laboratory work. Besides these seventeen units which are required of students working for the BSE, there is offered additional Science Courses of 19 units leading to a Certificate for Teaching Elementary Science. Actually, if a student completes the basic requirements of seventeen units and the 6 units required in Health, he needs only an additional of 12 units to earn his certificate. A student may take these units as their electives. However, there are only 6 units for electives. The PNC Graduate School offers a Master of Arts degree with specialization in science. Since the summer of 1958, the Natural Science department has been conducting Summer Science Institutes in collaboration with the National Science Development Board and the Bureau of Public Schools To promote more science consciousness among students the Science Department has encouraged the organization of the Natural Science Club. The club promotes such projects as: 1. Science quiz programs 2. Annual science exhibits of locally-made equipment 3. Science club library Following are other activities and Projects: 1. Science Museum and other exhibits. The department has been developing a science museum. Simple equipment made of native materials are exhibited as well as for use. Teachers from all over the country have visited our museum. This museum eventually might expand to become a Science Center. 2. Extension Service - Besides the Saturday classes, faculty members have been invited in the field to help as resource persons, demonstrators, consultants, speakers, etc. in up-grading science teaching. 3. Participation in national and international conferences and organizations. Several faculty members have been encouraged to attend science conferences and conventions sponsored by:
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NATURAL SCIENCE DEP'T. (Cont'd.) a. Biennial Convention of the Philippine Association of Science Teachers b. National Conference on the Science Curriculum c. Biennial conference of UNESCO d. Conference on Basic Science of South and East Asian countries - UNESCO e. NSDB Evaluation conference on Summer Institutes f. Childhood Education, International 4. Textbook writing. Faculty members have been encouraged to write textbooks, source books, and manuals in science, and outlines in science 5. A science travelling library - This is a project that might be pushed through this year in collaboration with the Council for Ele- mentary Science International, United States and Asia Foundation. Submitted by: (SGD.) JOSEFINA A. VICENTE Head, Science Dep't.
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Mrs. Emilia S. Otto Philippine Normal College Manila Miss Rosa R. Lopez Claro Recto High School Sampaloc, Manila Mrs Esther L. Reyes Phil. Normal College Laboratory School Manila Mrs Esuncion G. Zapata Phil. Normal College Manila Mrs. Araceli M. Villamin Philippine Normal College Manila
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Stebbins, R. 1963 246 Asian Trip Kuala Lumpur Feb. 15 This was the biggest collection of VIPs since Washington. Professor Kennedy G. Tregonning was the speaker. He talked on "The Problems of Malaysia". Kendrickson was in disagreement with him on a number of points. After the talk we saw an Indonesian shadow show. John said there were some 14 species of Draco in the jungles near Kuala Lumpur. The largest is Draco maximus, about 12" long. Baby draco can't fly. They must be about 2"+ long before they can do so. The females can easily be caught when they come to the ground to lay. They lay in the soil at the base of trees and deposit 2 eggs (as I recall). Draco occurs in the southern Philippines. Feb. 16 Left for San Francisco on PAA flight #844 at 10:00 a.m. Arrived at 4:50 p.m. Scattered clouds, recent rain, everything green. Met Mr. Larry Canning, U.C. Berkeley Assistant Business Manager on the plane.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Feb. 27 Lord Midway visited at Berkeley. He allowed me to copy a tape he made on Temiar songs. The Temiar people are Malay aborigines. Che Malu b. Along, Midway's aboriginal servant, whom I photographed, is a member of their tribe. The music should perhaps be called prestimemtal. Segments of bamboo, varying in length and diameter and closed at one end are struck against a log. The node a closed end is brought against the log as the segment is held vertically. The musician holds a segment in each hand and strikes them against the log alternately. Two people may play in a somewhat syncopated rhythm. Pitch can be regulated by the length of the segments. They are shortened until the desired note is achieved. Once the musical instruments, then, are of percussion type. Midway says the singers recorded are striving a rather trivial song - "Goodbye, We hope you'll come again", etc". A hissing sound heard occasionally is made with parted lips and slightly parted teeth. The women may echo phrases sung by the men.
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Feb. 27 He said the people of Malaya have many taboos. After menstruation women can eat no red meat and go intemst it for their entire lives. Their only animal protein comes from occasional fish. They are almost strictly vegetarians. They tend to have [crossed out text] pot belly, and sallow skin. The men, however, who eat meat, and hunt it regularly with blowguns, are in fine condition. The situation is different in Sarawak, however. There the women look in good condition. The Malaya aborigines are still essentially in the Neolithic stage. The only iron they have is in the machetes. Bamboo is the primary tool & structure making material. Medway said the rhino has been virtually eliminated in the last 50 yrs, with the introduction of the shot gun. Primitive hunters did not damage the population significantly even though the Chinese have been after these animals since before Christ. All parts of the animal are valued as a tonic or stimulant. The flesh is much too valuable to be eaten. It is dried and made into medicine. Urine, feces, gall bladder, blood, horn, hide, etc. are used.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Feb. 27 A rhino brings about $10,000 U.S., enough to set up an aboriginal for life. Hunters follow an injured animal doggedly, shooting it repeatedly until it dies. Shot guns have virtually eliminated the horn-bills in Borneo and most of the larger birds and mammals. Smaller things still persist, however. Over 76% of Borneo is still virgin growth and nearly the same percentage pertains in Malaya, although there, rubber planting, etc. is rapidly making inroads.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Draco volans Kapar Rd., 4 1/2 mi. NW Klang, Selangor, Malaya Feb. 9 Arrived at 11:00 a.m., overcast weather. The habitat here is a grove of coconut palms, ranging in height from 20 to 60 ft., mixed with nipah palms and tall grass (to 3-4 ft. high) in uncultivated patches. A number of native dwellings (on stilts) were present. The Draco were in a section where the palms were especially numerous and close together, thus providing easy gliding distances. We saw total of 4 or 5 individuals. They tended to remain above about 20 ft. on the taller palms, always headed upward. The general grayish tone of their bodies blended with the gray bark. One was seen within about 12 ft. of the ground when a palm frond from a nearby tree touched the trunk where the lizard perched. When an improvised bamboo pole was brought near, the lizards climbed upward and often to the opposite side of the trunk. However, they did not move when the pole was used to try to knock them to the ground, even when it came within 3 or 4 inches. The chunky rounded head with protruding eyes is held high and the bright lemon yellow dewlap is occasionally flicked forward when this lizard is alarmed. It is supported by a slender spike of cartilage.
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along its outer border. The elevated head position is necessary to permit free movement of the dewlap. We attempted to make the lizards take to the air by pounding on the tree trunks but this technique failed. On two occasions throwing rocks at them cause them to take flight and the approach of a native boy up the tree trunk also caused flights. Once one was seen to spread its wings out flat against the tree trunk but it retracted them without taking flight. Flights here were nearly in a straight line from one tree trunk to another. On one occasion the route was through the fronds of a low-growing palm and I thought for a moment the lizard was going to land in the palm canopy but it continued on through, missing a frond by inches to alight on a trunk. Most flights were 15-20 ft. in length but one was over 30 ft. The wings were stationary throughout and the hind legs were held about as shown in the sketch. The curve of the wing presents an airfoil section. The flight was quick, yet slow enough so that one had a clear image throughout. Only once did a lizard bank slightly but Wells said in dense forest, sharp banking turns occur. He also said the time to collect is on bright days in the morning and during the breeding season when the lizards chase each other up and down the tree trunks. The sudden exposure & disappearance of the blackish & browned wings creates a definite flash-color effect. I took movie shots of the lizards on the trunks 20 ft 25ft. a sample glide 30 ft.
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Stebbins, R. 1963 Draco Kapar Rd., 4 1/2 mi. NW Kling, Selangor, Malaya Feb. 9 but was unable to get one in flight. Finally despairing of noosing them we resorted to the use of slingshots. After firing perhaps 75 times I hit one, damaging its head and popping out an eye. The lizard fell directly downward, with one wing extended, almost on me as I stood in tall grass at the base of the tree. The animal had been at a height of about 40 ft. The time was around 4:00 p.m. and it was getting so overcast that it was difficult to get pictures even with Kodachrome II. Shortly afterward it began to rain. The wings fold down along the sides, the largest patagium just overlapping the base of the hind legs.
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Stebrix, R. 1863 Draco (Color Notes) Feb. 9 Kapar Rd., 4 1/2 mi. NW Klang, Selangor, Malaya Drawn from recently killed individual (Outline traced around animal) cream with dusky vermiculations concealed greenish yellow lemon yellow whitish with bluish cast bat-like wing black markings powder blue powder blue hemipenis extended. membranous fringe laterally flattened bands of black and ash white black flecks or ash white pale blue green around eye. bright brown yellow very pale greenish yellow legs very flat white with cross bands of brown. With transmitted light wings are purplish, when seen from below and spots appear pink. Ventral brown, tan and ash white mottling on back. brick red spots centrally on wing dull pale yellow spots along periphery of wings cross banded ash white, tan and dusky brown. dusky spot black spot light greenish blue Dorsal Nat. size .(81)
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(5) (تصوير)
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