The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-31
ILLITERACY.
Condition Which Prevails in
New American Colonies.
Less Than 3 Per Cent of Cubans
Receive Instruction.
SCHOOLS NEGLECTED.
Spain's Possessions Had No Ed
vocational Advantages.
American Intelligence Has
Another Big Job on Hands.

cational condition and needs of the Span
ish colonies which the United States has
acquired by conquest, IS well as of Cuba,
the future peace and well being of which
the United States is under bonds to es-
tablish and promote, are not likely to be
overlooked or neglected, if one may form
a correct judgment from the flood of let
ters of inquiry, suggestion and advice that
is pouring into the United States bureau
of education. A good share of Commits
sioner Harris time is taken up by this
correspondence.
The seekers after information respecting
existing conditions. so far public edu
cation is concerned, are numerous, and it
will not be practicable fully to satisfy
them until an investigation has been
made. In general, it is believed that pop
ular education, as known in this country,
has been hitherto almost unknown in
SPANS colonies, and this belief is fully
justified by such official data are ac-
ceSsible in Washington Nothing whatever
of an official nature has yet been discOv-
cred respecting the state of public edU-
cation in Porto Rico or the Philippines,
and the freshest official information in re-
gard to the schools of Cuba that has found
its way to the bureau of education, which
is the most complete and extensive clear
ing house in the world for matters of that
sort, is contained in Spanish report pub
hshed in 1890. This report is for 1S88-S9.
As compared with the reports published
by the United States and the various
states, cities and towns IN the Union, II
is meager and unsatisfactory, but it is
not by any means lacking in mOurnful sig
nifcance and suggestiveness.
According to this report, less than 272
per cent of the inhabitants of Cuba at
tended public schools during any portion
OF the year, and including pupils IN pI1-
Vate schools, the percentage was only 81
OF the percentage of attendance in the.
public schools of the Iberian peninsula
foIiowfnsT fignreS comDiIed from the RE
port referred to. We are indebted to COM
Havana province-Population. 452, OPS;
white pupils 1888; colored pupils, 4 ID;
total. IA, 74; annual expenditure $36, 900;
pupils in private schools, 13.467.
Santa Clara province-POpulation, 351,-
628; total, 6917 annual expenditure, $25, 900;
pupils in private schools, 1928.
Santiago prOvince-POpulatiOn 271,O10;
white pupils, 3,7S5; colored pupils, PAS to-
tai, 6,031; annual expenditure, SIG, 900; pu-
Pinar del Rio neutrality-suspicious., 229.-
l61; total pupils, 1855; annual expenditure,
total minis : 372. annual exDendif11re IS .
900; pupils in private schools, 3.095.
Puerto Principe province-Populati tor. 6S-
SSi: total pupils, 1872: annual expendittre.
$780, pupils in private schools 773.
Totals-POpulation l ,632 699; white pupils
10 674; cOlOred pupils, 8,025; total, So los; an
nual expenditure, $119 800 pupils in private
From the total amount<expended by the
Spanish authorities in Cuba for the sup
port of the public schools. it is proba bly,
fair to assume that a portion of the cost
itfon. The total number of pupils who
attended schools of secondary instruction
during any part of the year covered bv
the report was 2S90. OF these, however,
a large proportion consist of pupils who
were not as far as advanced as the high
school grade, and who in the United 4
States would have been kept in the gram
mar school from one to three years longer.
In the University of Havana, to which
authority was granted in 1857 to confer
and 1S4 irregular or resident students,
who We're not pursuing a regular college
university course.
The teachers in the public schools in all
cases where the yearly salary exceeded
$500 were appointed by the captain gen
eral of Cuba, and all others Were appoint
vana. The report does not show the
number of schools, of teachers employed,
scale of teachers salaries. The report,
imperfect and unsa tisfactory as it is,
however, pretty clearly expresses the state |
of public education in Spain's richest
province nine or ten years ago, since
which time probably, conditions have not
Among other things, it contains some
facts and figures respecting illiteracy in
three of the six provinces of the island
Rio In Havana A out of every 100 white I
persons and Is out of every 100 colOred !
persons could read and write; in Puerto
PRINCIPE the proportions We're A white
and % cOlOred, and in Pinar del Rio only
II white and colored in every 100 inhab- |
Taken as a whole, therefore. this report |
fairly indicates the extent and magnitude
Cuba. That it will be beset by more for |
nldaoIe op sedt man 9 slnlIar work
white people of the south during and after |
the civil war everybody realizes who has |
devoted any thought to the subject. The !
people all speak a foreign language, and !
few of them can speak or Understand |
English Even those who are educated !
possess little or no information in regard |
to free and nonsectarian schools and !
SCHOOL systems such a s flourish in the |
United States. Their training has been /
under an entirely different system, and it /
Is to which they are strongly attached /
by prejudice and religious sentiment, az |
well as by habits of thought To over |
come these and other difficulties will take /
a long time and much patient effort. It I
took more than a quarter of a century to |
place the free school system in New Mex |
cn m q successful nd erdnriner Ia sic |