Imperial Valley Press

School Speedup Plan Considered

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 19. (UP)—A hearing was set for next Monday on a bill to speed up instruction in junior colleges after the assembly committee on universities and colleges sought new amendments at a hearing last night.

The bill by Ralph C. Dills, Compton, would permit junior colleges to accept any high school graduate and any other person who is deemed capable by his high school principal of profiting by junior college instruction. It also provided that students under 18 could take junior college classes concurrently with high school work, particularly in technical courses to aid the war effort.

FOR DURATION

Amendments being prepared would limit the change for the war's duration and specify that persons could not "shop around" to get a favorable recommendation from a high school principal. Opposition seemed to center from secondary school heads who felt too many high school students would be taken into junior colleges.

C. S. Morris, of San Mateo junior college, chairman of the California junior college legislative committee, said the speedup was desired to equip boys for their later army duty. He said the bill would make it possible for students who have met the minimum standards from high school or fulfilled college entrance examinations to be issued a diploma and enter junior college or the university, with recommendation of their principal. He said it would permit capable students to finish their four-year course in less time, and estimated only 15 or 20 per cent at the most would be eligible for the speedup among seniors.

Superintendent Jesse Overturf of the Sacramento system said "we have neglected good brains in education too long."