GOVERNOR PROMOTES SCHOLARSHIP

Missouri Governor John Ashcroft was in Cape Girardeau Wednesday to meet "Governor's Scholars" at Southeast Missouri State University, and he even entertained the students with a "mini" piano recital.

Governor's Scholarships are awarded each year to students at Southeast who meet certain academic standards.

Ashcroft met the scholarship recipients Wednesday at an informal gathering at the University Center. He even played the piano, while students sang along with his jazz rendition of "When the Saints Go Marchin' In."

He also was accompanied by one of the scholars in a version of the children's song: "Jesus Loves Me."

In her introduction of Ashcroft, Southeast President Kala Stroup said it's usually difficult to persuade the governor to play.

"You usually have to twist his arm for quite a while, and first of all you have to get a big Steinway. We got the best we could afford," she quipped as she indicated the battered old upright Ashcroft was about to play.

The governor also encouraged the students to strive for excellence and make college a "time for personal greatness.

"Too many people today talk about the importance of self esteem, and they tell each other how wonderful they are," he said. "Self esteem doesn't mean going around lying to one another.

"Real self esteem comes from hard work and achievement, and when you've done something, you know you've done something."

Ashcroft said too many college students perceive higher education as a means to obtain career credentials rather than an education.

Ashcroft compared academic pursuits to athletics, and said the cliche "no pain, no gain" should be applied to all of life.

Students questioned Ashcroft on issues ranging from his future political aspirations after his term as governor ends next fall to Missouri budget cuts and their effect on education.

He said he really doesn't know what he plans to do after his term expires but that he's more concerned now with finishing the job.

"My ambition is to finish this job with intensity," he said. "I don't expect to wind it down, I want to wind it up.

"But I don't know what is going to happen next."

Ashcroft, who has a law degree and was a college instructor prior to entering politics, said he might return to law or academics. He also didn't rule out a position in President Bush's cabinet.

"If the president asked me to do something constructive for the administration, I might consider that," he said.

Ashcroft defended cuts he's made in the state's education budget. He said the education budget has always suffered cuts last and will have funds restored first.

He said court-ordered school desegregation in Kansas City and St. Louis has "ripped off" about a half billion dollars from the state's budget with very little cuts in education.

"I shielded education until everything else was hemorrhaging," he said.

The governor said that at some point the courts will have to realize that desegregation efforts haven't been effective and should be suspended.

He also was asked what could be done about teachers leaving the state for more lucrative salaries elsewhere. Ashcroft said that he didn't feel the issue was a serious problem in Missouri where elementary and secondary teachers earn a minimum salary of about $19,000, compared to $8,000 when he took office.

"I think we should pay teachers what you have to pay them to get good teachers," he said. "We don't have a teacher shortage in Missouri, and I don't think we have a deficit of quality.

"I'm not sure we have a major crisis."

Ashcroft said he'd rather see schools and universities begin to experiment with innovative ideas to make education more effective and efficient.