The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-22
SCHOOL SYSTEM
OF PORTO RICO.
The Island Has System Of Higher
Education.
NO COUNTRY SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS
And There is No Co Education 80 No
school Houses, Built for the Pur-
pose. Exist-Schools Last Twelve
Months In the Year.
NO COUNTRY SCHOOLSFOR GIRLS

sistant Secretary Of war MeikitJohh gave
out for publication to-day preliminary
roport from Dr. Victor 5. Clark. sub
Director of Public Education OF Porto
Rico ON the status OF educational mat
ters I'm the island. 4 fuller report Will
follow in a short time.
DR.. Clark says that it is impossible M
present to offer salaries OF more than
fifty dollars per month 10 American
teachers. with transportation 10 the
island from New York.
The English-speaking supervisors are
men, as they have to visit the reno. o.
schools on horseback. through a rough
country. They are American, and the
best men that can be had for the money.
Through them General Eaton. the So
perintendent Of Public Instruction hopes
TO develop some system OF control by
which the worst abuses found there
can be gradually weeded out. Nominally,
these supervisors are expected only to
teach English.
COURSE or STUDY.
At General EatOn's direction. Or Clark
| has prepared a revised course Of study
containing only subjects taught in Anne
| rican schools. also a project for new
1 school law embodying the main system
/ OF apportion.ng state school funds. such
as is in use in the Western States This
| is done with view of applying this
| system 10 the aid given the iusu'ar
! schools which IL seems necessary for the
! United states Government in Porto Rico
To distribute to the schools there.
When the American Government took
possession OF Porto Rico. IL found n OK
! Hr.ra
| ganiZed and administered iu accordance
with the same educational laws that were
! in force in Spain. Formerly under the
! autonomous government of the island
! the supreme direction of the schools
was In the hands OF "a cabinet official
/ known as the Secretary of Education
/ This former department has now been
made bureau Of The department Of the
/ Interior under John Eaton formerly
/ United States Commissioner OF Education
/ as director and Dir. Victor S. Clark as
sub-director.
SCHOOL BUREAU
Tho bure'u ~ which they are re-
| specially the head and sun-hoad in-
/ cludes as subordinate divisions divis-
| Ion Of records and division of English
| supervision. The division Of records has
/ charge Of educational statistics. the d.
/ censing Of teachers. the appointment Of
| VlSors whose business IL g. 90 visit in-
| direct control over appointments in the
municipal schools. control Of the tcach-
/ ers pension fund. and also copyrights
and public charities. including thr care
/ of the insane. The recently instituted
division Of English supervision is COM
posed Of sixteen English speaking super
visors. whose business it isto visit in-
spect and teach English bon am the schools
OF the island. Both of these divisions are
under the director. General Eaton and
the sub-dlrector Doctor Cl.rk who per-
form administrative functions recon-
mend educational legislation. authorize
courses OF study and text books. and
maintain close supervision over the en-
tire educational system This bureau
acts through the Secretary Of the Int
rior Or. Francisco del Vale. whose as
mt gives legal force t0 its recommcn-
dations except in matters OF legislation
which are referred 10 Governor General
, Henry.
POOR SYSTEM
As understood in the United states
there Is no system Of higher education 600
tho island Of Porto Rico. There IS. how
ever. an institute Of secondary education
40 San Juan where lectures are given 10
matricuated students according TO the
French system and degrees given upon
the completion of the prescribed courses.
But this school does not DO work adj
vanced enough to prepare students for
any American college or university of
standing
Affiliated with this institute ie "a nor
nal school for boys. There is also ID sep
arate institution known as the normal
school for girls. Grammar school sub-
jects are taught. There is little profess
ional training and no practice teaching
under critic teachers is done. A school
OF arts for Industrial training was for
merly connected with the orphan asylum
at san Juan, but this IS now closed
As a rule the public schools Of Porto
Rico are kept open twelve months in the
year and six days I'm the wtek. ln The |
summer only morning sessions are held /
Schools are classified as superior and |
elementary In towns; auxiliary, in vile !
lagos: and rural This classification n- |
iiuences somewhat the salaries OF teach /
ers. but does not represent any real dif- |
ference in the grade OF work done.
There is no co-education of The sexes /
I'm the schools Of Porto Rico and there /
are practically no country schools for /
girls
RENT THE HOUSES
No school houses, bullt Tor school pun /
poses. exist IN the island, but ~ a lew
instances residences are owned by hc /
municipalities aud used by the Teachers !
Tor scnOOl. A sum OF money ifs allowed |
the teacher for rent of hcusc from tho /
public funds. and he holds scnooi IN his
residence. frequently an the common iiv-
ing room salaries range from twenty /
i've 10 nifty pesos per month. and as the
peso is rated "a fifty cents. the salaries
vary from sl2 - to $3.50 per month. anu
in the past have been irregularly paid.
Supplies are provided by the public for
poor children and only a portion or the
pupils have text books of any kind.
There are few OF no school aids. and IN
many cases the pupils bring their own
chairs 20 sit in during school hours.
The teachers receive fees from rich pupils
and this leads to discrimination IN their
favor
The pupils study aloud and much mem
oriter work is done. the pedagogical sys-
tenn being founded upon the method OF
teaching the catechism. Common school
subjects. the catechism and fancy needle
work are taught the girls. In the place
OF the needle work the boys are sup
posed 10 learn agriculture from DOCKS.
In some rural schools a "Do-the-bOys
Hall system Of manual labor Oh the part
OF the boys for the teachers benefit Is
said 10 prevail Teachers often keep
store and pursue other outside oceupa-
tions leaving their schools IN the hands
OF assistants whom they pay themselves
PENSION TEACHERS.
There rs a teachers pension fund. for
The leneNt OF supeIannuated teachers. |