University of South Carolina Libraries
TDit (Samccock Students from page 4 formed the United States. They are Australia, the Flemish *. (Dutch) part of Belgium, Canada, Tai wan, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, the Slovak Re public and Slovenia. U.S. students shared the average field with Bulgaria, Latvia and New Zealand; American children did bet ter than those in 17 other countries in both categories. Students were asked questions about algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry and other topics that children would have been expected to have covered at their grade level. Questions went well beyond sim ple math and science knowledge. In a typical math question from the test, which was translated into each coun try’s language, testers were given the problem 691+208 and asked to show which of several other sums were clos est. The choices were 600+200, 700+200,700+300 and 900+200. An swer:700+200. Other nations’ reactions to their stu dents’ standings varied widely. “We are looking at ourselves, not comparing ourselves with other coun tries,” said Thailand’s Chaiwat Witchara mai, a national education testing offi cial. Thailand scored below the U.S. in both science and math. With average national performance set around 500, math scores ranged from 604 in Singapore to 275 in South Africa; science scores ranged from 569 in Taiwan to 243 in South Africa. The U,S. score was 502 in math, 515 in sci ence. France and Germany did not par ticipate, the only major industrialized nations that didn’t. The tests, which all nations were invited to give and were expected to pay for, drew three African countries, Middle Eastern states in cluding Jordan and Iran, several East ern Eur opean countries and a lone South American nation, Chile. More than 100,000 children, in cluding 9,072 frpm the United States, were picked randomly from each na tion’s eighth-graders or the national equivalent and were tested in the pri mary language of instruction. The study also analyzed results from 23 nations that gave the eighth-grade tests both in 1995 and 1999. - * 1 U.S. Education Department offi cials, which funded and administered the U.S. tests along with the National Science Foundation, cautioned against comparisons, either to current nations or to 1995 rankings. “It would be incorrect to assume no learning is taking place,” said de partment researcher Patrick Gonzales. The scores “could indicate a pace of change in other nations that is signifi cantly faster.” -1 Japan’s troubled prime minister seeking improvement with launch of new Cabinet by Ginny Parker Associated Press TOKYO —Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori , launched a new Cabinet on Tuesday, cut ting the number of posts and beefing up the lineup with two influential former leaders. Even so, doubts remained over his ability to run the nation. To bolster an eroding power base, Mori gave key positions to former prime ministers Kiichi Miyazawa and Ryutaro Hashimoto. “There’s an election next year, so they want to do anything they can to im prove the image,” said Ronald Morse, a politics professor at Keitaku Universi ty. “They can’t kick Mori out, so they have to surround him with people that look good.” Mori still faces major tasks, namely the revival of Japan’s still-struggling econ omy, a government restructuring plan that takes effect next month and elec tions for Parliament. “Mori is the weakest prime minis ter in history. I don’t think they can do much,” said Shigenori Okazaki, a polit ical analyst at UBS Warburg in Tokyo. “This is another government of the sta tus quo.” Many Japanese agree. “I don’t have any hopes that the new Cabinet will bring any changes,” Masa ki Nagase, a 35-year-old office worker, said outside a Tokyo coffee shop. “What we need is to remove that prime minis ter.” Following the mass resignation of his Cabinet in the morning — an expected formality — Mori had the difficult job of putting together a lineup that satisfied rival factions within his Liberal Democ ratic Party and a publicunhappy with his performance since he took office in April. Stressing the need for continuity, Mori had several ministers retain their former posts and drew almost exclusively from the ruling three-party coalition. This is the first time in Japan’s his tory that two former prime ministers have served simultaneously as Cabinet mem bers —a situation that could lead to bick ering for power. But the presence of Hashimoto, a powerful politician who controls the LDP’s largest faction, could give Mori’s administration a renewed sense of legitimacy along with the influence it needs to pass key legislation in Parlia ment. The new Cabinet included some fa miliar faces: Yohei Kono remained on as foreign minister, and outspoken Chikage Ogi kept her post as construction min ister. Masahiko Komura, a former for eign minister, was appointed to head the ‘We have to regain public trust. We are com mitted to tackling various reforms to have a newborn Japan.’ Yasuo Fukuda Chief Cabinet Secretary Justice Ministry. Mori did make some changes, in cluding appointing Hashimoto to serve as head of Okinawan affairs and govern ment reform, and he’s hoping the change will bolster his sagging administration. Public opinion polls put his support at under 20 percent, and he just barely survived a rebellion within his own par ty to beat a no-confidence motion two weeks ago. “We have to regain public trust,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, who retained his post. “We are commit ted to tackling various reforms to have a newborn Japan.” Mori’s new Cabinet can expect some difficult months ahead. Figures released this week showed that although the nation’s economy is ex panding, it is still not clearly on the road to recovery after its worst slowdown in decades. Concerns have been raised that Mori is not strong enough to push for any tough economic measures. Such concerns showed in the finan cial markets’ reaction to the reshuffle news. The Nikkei Avenge, the main barom eter of Japan’s stock market, has fallen to near two-year lows. The Nikkei fell further Tuesday, down 1.74 percent at • the close. “As there do not appear to be any changes ahead, the market has no hopes for improvement,” said Akihiro Niino mi, an analyst for Tokai Bank in Tokyo. Another challenge for Mori’s Cabi net will be the new bureaucratic frame work initiated to make Japan’s govern ment less cumbersome and more responsive to the nation’s needs. The streamlining goes into effect next month. To reflect the changes, the current 22 Cabinet portfolios will be reduced to 17, with many of the former posts combined and other new positions cre ated. is as likely in coming meetings to cut rates as to raise them. Economists believe the Fed will not actually cut rates at the December meeting and may remain on hold for some months to come unless the economy threatens to stall out. Greenspan’s remarks on Tuesday to the America’s Community Bankers Con ference signaled that he has apparently signed on to moving the policy statement to a neutral stance. Talking about the impact the fall in stock prices could have on the real econ omy, Greenspan said it was essential to remain alert to the possibility that falling stock prices “could signal or precipi tate an excessive softening in household and business spending. ” Greenspan’s remarks indicated he be lieves the economy has shifted into a low er gear and the third quarter was not just a temporary pause likely to be followed by a rebound that would bring back in flation concerns. At one point, he talked about “the 1 economy’s transition to a more sustain able balance in the growth of demand and supply.” One of the primary reasons the Fed has given for its six rate increases was concern that the demand for workers was outstripping the supply because of an un employment rate that has fallen to a three decade low of 3.9 percent. While labor markets remain tight, Greenspan said the rise in new claims for unemployment benefits in recent weeks “may be an early harbinger of an easing” of hot labor market. $10 OFF ANY 3 DAY RENTAL 714-0089 739-2770 5317 Two Notch Rd 1017 Sunset Blvd Columbia West Columbia 732 7775 • No credit card needed .,, fr.1°7jn 7940 Broad River Rd. . Locally owned & operated Lexington R.A.C. S Son. what arc all these ^ rrM<it p*rrt rhuroM fn By Forrest & Kevin Whitlark That's the same gym I worked out at for four years when I went to USC. You are paying me back e* ICopvright 2000 ON A LARK STUDIOS -COUPON Maurice's B-B-Q I_ I_ Offer Good at Rny ■ One coupon per customer. of maurice'S 9 | I not good in conjunction Locations. _ | with any other promotion. not redeemable in cash. rT (tf) Offer expires 12/20/00. IJjAflJHlJ /i -- COUPON - - - sr^y 1 « v S530 ' 1 Bedroom with Porch S570 1 Bedroom with Sun Room — CONVENIENT TO USC — — LOCATED AT THE RIVER — — OFF BROAD RIVER ROAD — —* ON BENTLEY DRIVE — FALL MOVE IN SPECIALS FQR USC STUDENTS CALL (803) 772-9409 in i* o i I_ _il — lvf.,1-1 S63S 2 Bedroom with Sunroom IJ._J_1I $655 2 Bedroom with Porch ' 0 to 4 . % H; •? mm *&'■ 1 V ■. ’ '.*11 _ drinks when they Party! | Greenspan from page 4 profits and contributed to a sharp sell-off in the stock market this fall, particularly for high-flying technology companies. Recently, more economists have be gun expressing fears that the central bank has overdone the credit tightening and could be running a danger of ending the current record-long economic expansion, now in its 10th year. Many analysts believe the Fed, at its next meeting Dec. 19, will recognize those concerns by moving its policy state ment from one leaning toward further rate cuts to a neutral stance, indicating it