The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-03
Cdba's Big Need
Is Public Schools,
f. ]. Gibson, in Philadelphia Press.

III ii is a public school system. over
III III 76 per cent. of the population
W can neither read nor write. The
latest Spanish statistics on this subject
give the percentage of the 52S,99S col
ored people who could read or write as
III, and of the 1,102,6S whites as 35.1.
But the best estimates make the popu-
lation of the island at the present time
not much over 1000, 900, excluding Ameri-
cans, and as there was no effort in the
last year of Spanish rule to keep up
the few so-called public schools that
previously existed, it is probable that
the percentage of illiteracy at the close
of the war was much greater than ever
before. Outside of the cities not ; per
cent. of the population can read or
write. To expect such a population to
maintain a republican form of govern
ment is preposterous.
General Wood. the military governor
of Santiago province, was quick to recog-
nize the great necessity for public
schools, and he appointed a commission
to make a thorough investigation of the
subject. In their report the commits
sioners state that a general system Of
until 1912, or 32S years after the Spanish
established themselves on the island.
But even then not much more was done
than to issue DEGREES to which little
attention was paid. Captain General
Concha, in 1909, was the first COVER
nor who really took any great inter-
est in this matter He made it obli-
Satory on the town councils to provide
for the support of the schools, and he
established a normal school at GUIANA
boca, under the direction of the church.
But that normal school, inefficient as
it was, closed in 1868 In December,
1850, a decree was issued providing for
gratuitous primary instruction to those
whom the parish priests certified We're
unable to pay; but nothing higher than
this rudmentary instruction was ever
made free and that was more in name
than in fact. The teachers i'm all cases
were Spaniards, and as the schools
were under the direction of the priests,
the supposed interests of the church
were the first concern of the instruct
ors. Christian doctrine and the ele-
ments of sacred history were the chief
things taught in the primary schools.
But there We're few of these schools
and the attendance was ridiculously
| small. This led to the issuance of a
| decree i'm 1880, making it compulsory
for all children, between the ages of G
and years, to attend school. But like
other wise DEGREES, it was never en-
forced. No schoolhouses were ever
built on the island and there was no
school inspection of any kind.
O.
The commission in its report to Gem
| eral Wood says: "The Indifference,
| caprice, neglect ana rapacity of the
| governing authorities left the admir-
| able promises of the law without en-
| fOrCcment or application. The resources
! of tho country were diverted TO other
| ends, and the result was mere shadow
| of an educational establishment, totally
! inadequate in extent, and highly in
| efficient i'm operation, so far at least as
| the primary and secondary schools were
| concerned. No such thing as a free
| public school in the American mean
! ing exists or has existed i'm Cuba. So
| far as is known, there is not single
| building nor a foot of land in this prov
| ince owned by the people for school
| purposes, and not a single dollar of
| endowment for any educational institu-
ton" That was the result of nearly
four centuries of Spanish rule. In 1873
the governor general of the island in
a public document, referring to the coll
! ored population, declared that "the
sacred duty of teaching the ignorant
has been neglected for ages in regard
to this unfortunate race"
| o
General Wood has made 1t his duty
TO establish public schools as rapidly
as possible, and there are today, not
withstanding the lack of revenues and
the disordered state of things, more