Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-24
SCHOOLS IN PORTO RICO
State Of Educational Matters on the
Island.
Salaries for Teachers Range From
of Study of English.

Assistant Secretary of War Meiklejohn
has given out for publication report from
DR.. Victor S. Clark, subdirector of public
instruction of Porto Rico, on the status of
educational matters in the island.
When the American government took pos
session of Porto Rico it found in existence
a system of public schools organized and
administered in accordance with the same
educational laws that We're in force in
Spain. Formerly under the autonomous
government of the island the supreme di-
reotion of the schools was in the hands of a
cabinet official known as the secretary Of
education. This former department has
now been made a bureau of the Department
of the Interior, under General John Eaton,
formerly United States commissioner of ed
ucatiOn, as director, and Dr. Victor S. Clark
as SubdirectOr.
AS understood in the United States, there
is no system of higher education in the
Island of Porto Rico. There is, however,
an institute of secondary education at
San Juan, where lectures are given to
matriculated students according to the
French system and degrees given upon the
completion of the prescribed courses. But
this school does not do work advanced
enough to prepare students for any Ameri-
can college or university of standing.
Normal Schools.
Affiliated with this institution is normal
school for boys. There is also a separate
institution known as the Normal School for
Girls. Grammar school subjects are taught
There is little professional training and no
practice teaching under critic teachers is
done. A school of arts for industrial train
ing was formerly connected with the
Orphan Asylum at San Juan, but this Is
now closed.
AS rule the public schools of Porto Rico
are kept open twelve months in the year
and six days in the week. In the summer
only morning sessions are held. Schools are
classified as superior and elementary in
towns, auxiliary in villages, and rural
This classification influences somewhat the
salaries of teachers, but does not represent
any real difference in the grade Oh work
done.
There is no co-education of the sexes in
the schools of Porto Rico, and there are
practically no country schools for girls.
No School Houses.
No school houses built for school pur-
poses, exist in the island, but in few in
stances residences are owned by the NUM-
cipalities and used by the teachers for
schools. A sum of money is allowed the
teacher for rent of house from the public
funds, and he holds school in his residence,
frequently in the common living room. Sal
aries range from twenty-five to fifty pesos
per month, and as the peso is rated at
fifty cents, the salaries vary from $1250 to
SO per month, and In the past have been
irregularly paid. Supplies are provided by
the public for poor children, and only por-
ton of the pupils have text books of any
kind. There are few or no school aids, and
In many cases the pupils bring their own
chairs to sit in during school hours. The
teachers receive fees from rich pupils and
this leads to discrimination in their favor
Total school Attendance $4,000.
About go schools are reported in the en-
tire island and little over 100000 is an
nually paid for their support. They are
supported by local municipal taxation. The
total attendance is about 5000, or approx
imately one in seven of the school popula-
ton. According to conservative estimates,
about one person in ten in the island can
read and write, though there are no accu-
rate figures obtainable this subject.
Under Gen. Eatons administration Eng
lish teaching is being rapidly introduced
and there is great desire manifested upon
the part of both teachers and pupils to
learn this language. About one-fifth of the
public school teachers of the island read
English more or less. Reading and arith-
metic will be taught in English and geog-
raphy and grammar in Spanish after the
new course of study has been introduced
New teachers will be required to know
English as well Spanish.
a revised course of study and uniform
graduation OF pupils will soon be in force in
the schools New text books are being pub
hshed in the states to replace the Spanish
books now in use.