Medford mail tribune., May 12, 1963, Image 29

Dr. Elmo Stevenson Impressed
With What He Saw in Egypt
By GEORGE H. BELL
Mail Tribunt Staff Wtil.r
Ashland The president of
Southern Oregon college has
returned to this country vis
ibly Impressed with what he
law during a one-month's
visit to Egypt.
Dr. Elmo Stevenson was
selected by the American As
sociation ol Teacher Educa
tion as a member of a seven
man team of educators to
make the excursion as part of
a program sponsored by the
U.S. state department in co
operation with the United
Arab Republic.
The team, which was com
posed of three presidents of
state colleges and four deans
of schools of educations at
major universities, was as
signed the specific task of
studying the teacher educa
tion program in the north
African country.
On Geographical Basis
The team members were
selected on a geographical
basis, and Dr. Stevenson rep
resented the far west in the
group. The seven educators
left New York by plane on
March 31. They arrived in
Egypt on April 2 and spent
the remainder of the month
observing all aspects of con
temporary Egyptian culture.
Dr. Stevenson said his
group was conducted on guid
ed tours throughout the coun
try under the auspices of the
Egyptian ministeries of edu
cation and higher education.
Wednesday, relaxed and
smiling, the white-haired col
lege president talked with a
group of newsmen in his of
fice about his experiences in
Egypt and the impressions he
had gained as a result of
them.
'Revolution' Taking Place
He said the most interest
ing thing to him was the
"revolution" that has and is
taking place in Egypt, a revo
lution that Dr. Stevenson
described collectively as
"Nasserism," in reference to
Gamal Abdul Nasser, the
president of Egypt.
Nasserism is manifesting it
self in at least three major
ways, he said, in a movement
to unify all the Arab states, I
in development of a "new ;
kind of socialism the world ;
has never seen before," and in j
increased freedom and oppor
tunity for the" Egyptian
people.
Nasser seeks confederation
of all Arab states into a non
aligned power bloc favoring
neither the East nor the
West. Dr. Stevenson said he
expects to see this goal ac
complished "in a very short
time."
Industry Nationalised
As part of the Socialist
movement, the educator said
that most of Egypt's indus- J
try has been nationalized and ;
that private competitive en- j
terprise is almost non-exist-1
ent now. J
But he added that the re
sults are surprising. He said
industrialization is increasing .
at a rapid rate and that some
of the new factories are
larger and more modern than 1
any in this country. j
Nasser has also instituted
a land reform program, he
said, that has broken up the
old large estates into small
tracts averaging five or six
acres, which have been
turned over to the people to
till. He said that SO per cent
of the Egyptian population
now lives on these acreages
and farms them on a coopera
tive basis by pooling machi
nery and agricultural equip
ment. Complexes Developed
He said complexes called
"Combination Units" have
been developed in 250 vil- j
lages in Egypt. These units
consist of a primary school, j
a "cluster of commercial proj- i
ects." and a medical clinic
staffed by a doctor and a
nurse and about 20 assistants.
More of the units arc
planned, he said. j
Dr. Stevenson said building
Is going on at a rapid rate
and that he was particularly
impressed with the superior
design and high standard con
struction of an airport and
seaport which he visited. He
said he regarded the airport
and its facilities as better !
than Portland's airport.
The major area of his in
terest was developments in
Egyptian education, and there
too Stevenson said he was
impressed by what he saw.
In pre-Nasser days, about
10 per cent of the nation's ;
children were in school, he
said, but now 75 per cent of
the youngsters attend school.
Plans call for 100 per cent
attendance by 1970.
Schools, Books An Free
The schools and the books
the students use are free. The
buildings often are converted
from former mansions and es
tates of the rich. Classes are
coeducational.
Primary school lasts for six
years. The next educational
stage is three years in dura
tion and is designed to pre
pare the student for the three
year secondary school pro
gram. Foreign languages are
taught the youngsters, begin
ning with what would corres
pond with our seventh grade,
and are continued through the
next six years. English is the
second language taught, and
training also is given in
French and Russian, he said.
Dr. Stevenson said he
found a strong patriotic fer
vor and dedication to Nasser
and his programs among the
youngsters. But he added a
conscious attempt is made to
indoctrinate the students in
school.
Sing National Song
"Each school day is begun
with the singing of a national
song," he said, "and the reci
tation of a tribute to their
president."
Asked by a newsman to
comment on any "flaw" or
shortcoming he had observed
in Nasser Egypt, Dr. Steven
son said he felt the individual
was being subordinated per
haps too much to the welfare
of the state.
But he said the Egyptian
people didn't seem to mind,
nor did it apparently destroy
their incentive to produce.
Actually, he said it was his
observation that the people
seemed to be working with a
surprising amount of dedica
tion and zeal.
SECTION D
MEDFORD
PAGES 1 to 8
JTRIBUNE
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, MAY 12, 1963
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