Published June 1965 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. 20510 Volume V -- Number 23 June 4, 1965 Byrd's Eye View A Public Service Column by Senator Robert C. Byrd LEAP FROGGING INTO SPACE Increasingly spectacular feats by Russian cosmonauts have brought forth inevitable comparisons between Soviet and American space programs, which have led toward various analyses of reasons why the Soviet Russians are ahead in space ventures. Military experts credit the heavy concentration of U.S.S.R. budgetary funds toward advancing the Red space program for military reasons. Political analysts credit the greater pliability of a totalitarian government as contrasted to a republic. Educational specialists state the Soviets' space advantage lies in the gearing of the Soviet Russian school system to e process called “The Leap Frog Technique”--the selection of some areas of high degree of specialization, for development of certain favored potentials to meet specified needs. Under this “Leap Frog” system, a very large number of engineers and scientists have been produced, as determined necessary by the U.S.S.R. central government. In the United States, the school curricula are determined by individual States and local school authorities, with no guidance by the Federal Government, and the individual student then majors in a subject of his or her choice. The Soviets have a heavy commitment to and emphasis on education as the cornerstone for development of their economy. About 15% of their national budget is channeled into education. Over l ½ million qualified teachers are employed--this in a country the population of which was almost completely illiterate at the end of World War I. The Soviets believe their national destiny is closely linked with science and technology; and, by virtue of the materialistic philosophy espoused by the Soviet government, great emphasis has been placed on the natural sciences and mathematics, from primary, elementary, high school, and under-graduate levels through graduate schools. This stress is considerably greater than in the U. S. As an example, education reports indicate a substantial decline in the percentage of American students taking physics in high school. Reading material is geared toward academic pursuits in Soviet Russia. There are no crime paperback magazines, no comic books, no movie magazines, no cheesecake photography to distract citizens at every turn. The Soviet translating activity of world scientific and technical literature is unmatched by any other country. The Soviets openly boast that they subscribe to every professional journal in the whole world. From these, they have garnered facts on technological advances on which to base a great build up of Soviet industry. This intensive activity is possible because U.S.S.R. students almost all take a foreign language as a required subject, with instruction beginning in Grade 5 at age 12, although a good many schools instruct totally, beginning at Grade 2, in a foreign language. 95% of all pupils enrolled in grades 5-10 are studying a foreign language. Soviet students enter school at 7 years of age and go to school for 11 years of intensive training. Beginning at Grade 5, a student is required to spend 10-14 hours daily in study and homework combine. The 2 most dynamic educational societies of our generation are the U.S.S.R. and the U. S. The nation which, in the future, is ahead in its grasp of the physical sciences, and which has a major reservoir of graduates in the areas of science, engineering, and applied technology, will be ahead militarily. - 30 -