Evening star., 1900-08-17
The Opportunity Afforded Them of
Visiting Washington.
ISLAND SCHOOL SYSTEM DISCUSSED
Progress Made Under the Ameri-
can Authorities.
A l. II A We Pc r ST TEL n C E


they will tell for themselves From the
time when it became certain that the
United States would forcibly intervene in
the struggle with Spain l never met a
Cuban who did not want chance to visit
Washington and greet President Mckinley.
The school teachers are fortunate in hav-
ing that chance which other Cubans are
denied. 1t is from them that the mass of
the Cubans will get their impressions of
the American people and the American
government
1 do not know how far their Harvard ex-
periences have gone. As a rule. like most
of the Latin race, they are keen observers
anG shrewd commentators on customs and
manners different from their own. Some of
TIL. American ways undoubtedly they will
take back to the island with them and the
greater freedom of social intercourse in
which they have delighted will be main
tained, though for a while it will lie crit
1ciSed.
Desire to Learn English.
Besides the desire to see something of the
United States and its government, the chief
ambition of the Cuban school teachers was
to learn English. There are a good many
thousand Cubans who have lived in the
states and who talk English very well. but
to the majority of these teachers a year or
so ago 1t was a strange tongue. They be-
gan learning when the American troops ar
rived and many of them sought special
teachers. Others picked up what they could
Nom the American soldiers and civilians.
This was good idiomatic or colloquial En-
glish. perhaps, but it was hardly the lam
guage of an American drawing room. When
the bicycle became so popular in Havana
that was quick means of education IN
Ell glish of certain kind. A Spanish mer-
chant one day had his son, lad of eleven
Of twelve years, repeat to me some of the
phrases which he had caught up. The
Spaniard himself did not know a word of
the language. Some tact was required on
nv part in order to explain to him that the
better way would be to put his boy in an
English school and teach him to forget the
phrases he had learned from the soldiers
and from the bicyclists.
Most of the Cuban teachers came to the
United States with at least book knowl-
edge of English How far six weeks prac-
tice has enabled them to improve l do not
know but as rule they are quick at mas
tering another language and they are un-
like the American, in that they are not
afraid to expose their ignorance by trying
1t on
Neither Superintendent Frye nor Gen.
Wood in planning the American trip count
ed on two months as long enough to perfect
the visitors in English. but they had the
hone. that the teachers would carry back
some useful ideas about the methods of
American school instruction and the best
ways of putting into effect the new system
which is meant for Cuba. The public school
system of the island Was reorganize'l
months ago. taking the municipalities for
the basis Provision has been made for
teaching 1i0.ro pupils, and school turnl-
ture forms of the latest style have been
provided for 1uH.WD.
Though the schools are under the imme
date direction Of the municipalities, the
military authorities have maintained a gen
eral oversight. This has enabled the uni
form system to be put in practice.
For a time after the American occupa-
ton 1t was difficult to get the right class
of people interested in teaching. The school
teacher. as understood in the United States,
was hardly known in the island. Though in
the municipalities which had schools the
sexes were kept apart and separate insti-
tutions were maintained for boys and girls.
respectively. the majority Of the teachers
were men. Many of the women who taught
Were limited in gaining their experience to
private schools. They responded. however,
to the first opportunity for wider field.
II was the general comment of the Amer
lean officials that all of the men wanted to
be politicians and looked down on the
SchOolmaSters profession. ] remember the
Indifference with which a crowd of bright
young Cubans, some of whom had the
benefit of collegiate training in the United
States, received the suggestion that If they
We're so wraDt UP in free Cuba the best
thing they could do would be to go to
teaching and thus help fit their own peo-
pie for the responsibilities of government.
But though the suggestion seemed to fall
on stony ground. within month three of
the young Cubans told me they were fitting
themselves to be teachers. and they wanted
q little influence in getting positions This
was better than politics. and | think good
many ot the politicians of year and half
ago have since found 1t out.
Among the reforms which the American
authorities introduced In order to improve
the school system was that of keeping the
school room apart from the schoolmasters
dwelling. Generally under the old sys-
TEN. the teacher lived where he taught and
this was one way of getting his pay. With
separate buildings for the schools much
greater progress can be made in applying
modern educational methods.
After a tine probably Cuba will have real
compulsory education. but until facilities
are provided for the population which needs
instruction not much can be done in that
line. Under the Spanish law education in
a manner. was supposed to be compulsory.
but the law rested quietly on the statute
books. When their parents willed II they
went to the municipal school If there was
room for them
The Country School House.
do not know whether any of the present
visitors TO Washington call themselves
country school teachers. Probably not. be-
cause Cuba is yet without country school
houses. The system inaugurated under
American auspices has gone as far In that
direction as was possible. but there never
was such thing a country school house
in Cuba under the Spanish rule, and they
cannot be expected to grow like gourds.
With the municipalities. which are COM
binstion of American town and country
government. as the basis. the school system
may be enlarged gradually SO that In time
every barrio or township, will have its
school. This would be something like the
district schools in the rural regions of the
states. 1t will not need to extend over
large area, because the families which
trymen are quite large, and half dozen of
them ordinarily will furnish pupils enough
for one district school.
There Is nothing Yet in Cuba which is
akin to normal school training. as under
stood in the United States, though that idea
is being worked out under the comprehen-
sive scheme of the American authorities
In the past has afforded some basis for nor
NAL training, and it has had some eminent
educators identified with ii. The Institute,
though not part of the University of Ha-
vana. was affiliated with it. The university
has given many learned men to the island
but their training has been for law and
medicine rather than for pedagogics. Its
courses in the classics and even in science
Were pretty thorough.
Not Lacking I'm perseverance,.
Coming hack IN bp Il,