Evening star., 1899-01-03

Recently something has been printed
about the needs of higher education in Gu
ba. Higher education has its needs, like
everything else. on this island. Its growth
has been stunted and dwarfed by the policy
of government that has ceased to exist.
Cubans who could afford it sent their chill
dren 10 the United States or to Europe.
They may have to do this for some time to
come. The question which must be consid-
cred now is of the children who cannot be
sent to institutions of learning. 1t is
question, not of higher education. but of
primary schooling. When 3Ooo00 children
who do not know their letters have been
put in the way of learning reading, riting
and rithmetic a system of advanced school,
ing may be taken up. An American wo-
man who has had something to do with
school instruction tells me that the Cuban
children are fairly receptive-neither un-
usually dull nor precociously bright. They
do not progress as rapidly as American
youth, because they have not the advan-
tage of the same influences and associa-
tions, but they receive impressions and
retain them. The colored, she declared,
were quicker to learn than those of the
same class in the states.
1t is tole-ably clear that military control
VIII not be able to do much for Cuba In
the way OF education. The most that can
be done will be to encourage the reopening
of the municipal schools and to sustain the
local authorities in vigorously enforcing the
laws against truancy. The reconcentrauon
has left large numbers of children on this
streets. After q time, when homes are
nd for them, ii will be important that
they shall go to school. Before that the
various towns will have to get the schools
opaned and provide means for keeping
them open. That will come when the
municipal revenues again appear. and these
revenues will be slow in making their ap-
pearance. AS for the teachers, there is lit
tie prospect for those from the United
II is that the need
of Cuba is for school system of which the
basis is the English language. One tongue
is all that the mass of the children can use
during their primary schooling, and that is
the tongue which is heard all around
tlem. Reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic can
be taught in Castilian as well as in English
The first two fre taught the easier because
in Spanish every syllable is pronounced as
written.
How to Earn a Living.
A large number of young Cubans who
have been educated in the United States
are now wondering what they will do to
earn a living. Most of them are thinking
of getting office. The best office they could
seek would be that of schoolmaster. If an
educational system can be provided under
which they will find employment their en-
ergies and their knowledge will not go
amiss. Most of them are full of seutimen-
tai patriotism. They want to help raise
their people above the plane to which Span
ish rule had degraded the mass OF the in
habitants. The school room is the place IN
which to do it. and is the only place. These
educated young Cubans will be better en-
ployed in teaching than in talking politics
or in fretting about the independence of the
island.
This is said only of the municipal schools
! do not know when system of country
schools can be established in Cuba. The
present problem is to get what is left of the
reconcentrado population back into homes
in the country, and to raising crops which
will support them. Some progress has been
made. Next year they may all be back on
their farms and on the plantations. Then
it will be possible to plan schooling for the
children Of the fields. In the meantime the
education of few Cuban youths at Ameri-
can colleges does not solve the question.
That is praiseworthy in its way, but the
mass of children in Cuba cannot be trans
ferred in body to the states, nor is it de-
sirahle that they should be taken away.
They have got to be given their schooling
III the midst of the surroundings to which
they are born. That can only be done by
planting the school house. 1t will not be a
little red one, most likely win not be paint
ed at all, for the bamboo frames and the
palm matching do not need to be painted.
When the country schoolmaster, or perhaps
under the new conditions ii will be the
country schoolma am, become Fart of the
rural life of Cuba the future will no longer
be blank one. CHARLES M PEPPER