The evening times., 1899-06-20
Spanish Methods Condemned
by the Insular Board.
Buildings Filthy and The System
Rotten to the Core.
Com Recon send That the
Island Chiidren BE Educated ON
the Americas Plan.

system OF schools under Spanish rule.
From the text Of the report. it would seem
| that there is as much room for improve
ment in the schools of the island as in
| the prison system. an account Of which
was printed exclusively in The Evening
Times yesterday. The report will say in
part:
The schools Of Porto Rico, when in
spected by an American. presented state
of Affairs which readily explains the cause
of the unfortunate condition Of fully nine
tenths Of the people Of the island. That
ignorance should prevail among a people
when not single building has been erected
especially intended for school purposes.
and not a single structure worthy Of the
name exists upon the island, is not to be
wondered at
1T is estimated that fully nine out Of
every ten persons upon the island can
neither read nor write. and Of the children
Of the usual school age not one out Of ten
attends a school of any kind. II is claim
ed that it was the purpose OF the Spanish
regime governing the island to keep the
people in Ignorance. for the reason that ig-
norance was supposed to render them more
reduliy subject 10 ODeuleNce ana cOutfOi,
however this may have been. il is certainly
fact that no great effort was ever made
to lift from them the dense cloud of ig-
porance which had settled like pail of
darkness over the island and its people.
Notwithstanding all this, these people are
bright, and with the same opportunities
afforded the children Of the United States
the children of Porto Rico would quickly
become as Intelligent as any others given
the same opportunities.
THE schools We visited are simply pre-
tensions to education, and in the United
States would not be regarded as being
worthy of the name. The miserable novels
into which these schools are crowded. the
unwholesome and unhealthy conditions
surrounding them. the lack of the smallest
corveniences, and the entire absence of a
good system of school books is everywhere
noticeable. In but single school did we
find any pretensiors to desks. and in most
of them the plainest and toughest benches.
upon which the children were compelled
TO sit No attempt has been made at
classification. and young and Old are gath
cred together into one common conglomer-
alton of filth and dirt. The books most
generally found in these schools are a
primer, catechism and a mental philoso-
ply. and the system of education con-
sists almost entirely CT memorizing alone.
III spettdI We IDuII q
and an arithmetic and a Spanish history,
according as the teacher himself had some
special qualifications which he put into
use.
The only schools worthy of considera-
tion as such are the Beneficencia.' and
the school of the Sisters at Santurce- TIE
first of these is simply school for orphans
and poor children. where the ch ldren OF
those unable to keep them are gathere
together and are cared for. clothed. fed.
and educated at public expense. This is
under charge Of the nuns of the Catholic
Church. and while the education is limited
to that usually received in Catholic institu-
,ions. it is well-conducted clean. and
wholesome This school contains some i59
pupils. and occupies one of the public
buildings belorging 10 the government. III
other at Santurce is located in public
building and has some 200 or mo.e pupils.
Ii is conducted by the nuns of the Sacre
Heart. All OF these children are of pub
age and were placed upon inspec-
tion before Secretary Alger upon his re-
cent visit TO San Juan, in the plaza OF the
capital, and presented a neat and plsas
ing appearance.
- We desire to call especial attention TO
another educational Institution maintain
ed at public expense. called the Institute
and Normal School of San Juan There
are in connection with this pretent:ols AMI
high sounding institution some seventeen
professors, all dignified by titles and pro-
fessorships. and receiving salaries COM
mensurate with their dignities and preten-
sions. They draw from the public tr, as
ury annually some $4,000.
We visited the schools of this institute
and found within them principally children
of public-school age, all of whom should
have been attending the public schools, and
We failed to find at any of our visits .
single one of the high-salaried and distin-
guished professors. In our judgment,
these schools should no longer be sup
ported at public expense. and the funds
given to its professors should be dedicated
and devoted to public school purposes.
I'm the assessment of taxes on the ISL
and of Porto Rico the moneys gathered in
taxation were all paid into one common
fund, and paid from this the different
district officers may direct. The salaries
of all officials were first paid. and such
other matters as might command their at |
tention: the items left at the end. and |
without adequate provisions. were the |
roads and the schools. In consequence |
thereof the public schools were frequently |
curtailed and as often necessarily aban- |
ioned, and many salaries left unpaid. |
Such should no longer be the case; the as |
sessment Of taxes there should be distrib- |
uted In the assessment and proper distri- |
button of the collections to respective 7
funds, and these should be paid out for no |
other purpose. Under such system Of |
collections and expenditures the schools Of |
Porto Rico cannot be robbed Of their just /
share and the children OF Porto Rico be |
longer kept in ignorance because of it.
"The work Of building public school, |
houses, devoted entirely and exclusively |
10 school purposes. should be pushed as
rapidly as possible In every part of the |
island. and taxes levied for this purpose
should not be permitted to be diverted in
any other direction. In the meantime.
there are a number Of buildings situated
along the military road and along the pub
ic read leading from Guayamo to Cayey,
now used as residences by persons employ
ed on the public highways. which could
be readily changed into public school
houses, and would answer a speedy purpose
TO this end. They are handsomely con-
structed buildings, built Of stone and ce
ment, are situated some three or four
niles apart, and especially adapted by rea-
ION of location and condition for this pur-
,ose There are perhaps forty or fifty Of
hese buildings. and they could be quickly
urned into public schoolhouses. and are
70 conveniently situated that we could |
hardly imagine better purpose for which
hey could be used, and We so recommend.
I'VE cannot speak tco hopefully Of the
~ a. I'M With bo,r4, !