The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-06-10
SCHOOLS OF MANILA
WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY REV.
FATHER M'klNNoN.

was SLOW WoTk-l no S''"P'NeN
Iments Are Taught, But the Average
Filipino Is Anxious to Learn.
Almost at the beginning of the
American occupation of Manila, Padre
McKinnon was put in charge OF the
public schools. The system under the
Spaniards was not very extensive hor
was the work very thorough, ana tiiere
was n lot of hard work for the padre
in getting things to running again III
ANYTHING like proper shape. BEFORE
he had fairly got started at IT, tne
leper hospital was put In MS charsc
also. and there was lot more WORK
Then he was made superintendent OF
the cemeteries, all of those In Manila
being under his direction, and that did
make his hands full. All this WORK
the padre has looked after steadily
since he took hold of 1t last fall, anu
besides, he has found time somehow
to 90 with his boys under IRE III lnelr
lighting about Manila.
1t was in the schools that Father NC
KInnon was most Interested. Al the
start IL was slow work. There were
comparatively few pupils and only
two schoolhouses. Both of these
were conducted by the Jesuits, one
in the walled city and the other Ill
Malate. The school in the walled city
was the only regular municipal school
in Manila; that in Malate was nor
NAL school for the training of teach
ers conducted much ON the lines OF
similar institutions in the StateS'
There had been several district
schools of little better than primary
standing. and these Father Mckinnon
reorganzcd and set at work as soon
as possible. He was able to employ
most of the old teachers, and where
those could not be had he found 9th
ers. This was not matter of great
difficulty, although 1t required time
The Filipino as a rule is extremely
ambitious for his children. Especially
is this so in the matter Of education.
There was no great lack of pupils
when It became known that the new
schools were free and that care would
be taken of all the children who came
II soon became necessary to provide
more room. and Father McKlnnon be-
gan TO spread out. Buildings We're
rented in various parts of the city,
and new schools were opened as fast
as was required. Teachers were not
difficult to get, although the pay was
very small, in very few cases amount
ing to $50 (Mexican) month.
The system was in a fiourishing con-
dltion last fall when Father Mchin-
non met his first indication of the
force of the insuTectionary move
ment. 1t came in the shape Of a pro
hlbltion by Aguinaldo of one of his
net plans. He had arranged for q
formal raising of the Stars and Stripes
over the Normal school building in Ma
late. All the native teachers and some
of the pupils were to take part In
the ceremonies, and an elaborate pro
gramme was prepared AgulnaldC
simply forbade any Filipino to have
ANYTHING to do with the raising of the
American flag, and all obeyed him
Nevertheless the flag was raised on Tho
day and at the time appointed. Aftel
that the feeling between the Ameri
cans and the Filiplnos kept growing
steadily more and more strained, an'
It's effect was shown in a diminishing
attendance at the schools. There were
some pupils, however, who were faitn
: full, and even in the most trying tlme
: of the first fighting the schools wer'
not shut down altogether
Sometime ago Father McKinnon de
: cided to begin giving instruction II
English. There were few of his reg
/ ular teachers who were competent t
) give the children a start in the new
. official language and few Spaniard
) were found who could and would he'll
them. Then some of the America
: women here took hold and the Englis
department was pretty well equipped
| An astonishing increase in the nun
Der of pupils was the immediate II
5 suit Men and women applied as we
D as the children. The Filipinos are cas-
err TO learn English and they displa
+ an astonishing aptitude for it. The
came in such numbers that 1t wa
necessary to establish an age limi
6 and now only children between an
n IA are admitted to the schools. Their
q are more than 5000 pupils, and thei
s is hardly room for them all In til
K thirty-two schools which have bee
: established since Father McKinno
d took hold of the system.
q In general the curriculum of I'll
l. Manila schools Is not extended or az
b vanced. The simplest rudiments al
e taught for the most part but on IL
+ whole the work under Father Mckil
g non has been very successful, and
n is almost entirely due to his untirin
e energy and interest in the work th'
this is so. The schools have close
y now for the long summer vacatio
!. and there will be no effort 10 sele
20 a new superintendent until 1t is ce
- tain that Father McKlnnon is m
q coming back. Naturally he desires
n 90 home with his regiment and
n mustered out with the boys vii
N whom he started from San Francis
last summer. But he has become
much interested in his work out he
% and I'm the Deople with whom tn