Bruner Will Head Study Of Educational Systems

Jerome S. Bruner, professor of Psychology, will head an advisory work group formed to gather information on educational systems in underdeveloped countries and guide future government policy in that field.

The group, which includes I. A. Richards, University Professor, and Professor Jerrold Zacharias of M.I.T., will leave on a study trip to Africa May 15, Bruner emphasised that the report will deal with problems in all underdeveloped areas, but cited Africa as the "most viable" area for study.

Though working closely with the State Department and ICA in writing its report, Bruner's committee will remain free from any official governmental connections, since it is being financed by the Ford Foundation.

Six Topics of Study

"There are things we have been sloppy about in our own educational system that we cannot afford to be sloppy about in Africa or any underdeveloped area," Bruner said last night. He outlined six specific areas that are the basis for his group's study.

The first problem is the improvement of basic techniques for eliminating illiteracy, and the second is the elimination of mechanical illiteracy" among people at the educational level of "pre-Roman Anglo-Saxons," Bruner noted. He cited the importance of teaching the natives show to read a diagram and dig a ditch" in the overall picture of the development of the country.

The group will consider the possibility of establishing experiment stations in underdeveloped countries, so there can be a place for applying United States aid to the actual problems of local education and technology.

This set-up could also provide a means or utilizing visitors who might only be on the country a short time.

The fourth problem that the group will study is "teacher multipliers." Bruner mentioned that the widespread use of inexpensive radios, hooked up to special programs, could be a possible means of teaching more students with fewer trained teachers. Other devices under study in this area are visual teaching aids and primitive teaching machines.

Printed matter and its production are to fifth problem for the group, and the sixth is exchange arrangements between underdeveloped countries and other governments. Bruner said that the "best investment" to be made in this field would be the teaching of native teachers by the visitors rather than direct instruction of the students. This is the only way to achieve the rapid expansion and improvement of educational systems that is now needed, he said.