The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
THE NEW CUBA'S SCHOOLS.
5000 or THEN NOW ORGANIZED
WITH 10000 PUPILS.
Practically No Educational system on the
Island when the Americans Took Con.
troll = Vast Labor Of Organization Done
By Alexis r. Frye-The Teachers, Wait.

been in q ferment over the coming excursion
Of teachers TO the Z nited States, This remark
able enterprise was planned by Alexis Everett
Frye, superintendent OF the Cuban schools.
and may be regarded a. in the nature of a eli
max to the work he has been doing on the
island.
The organization OF an educational system
was one of the most serio us problems which
confronted the American administration of
the island when IL took hold. The problem
was not to remodel IAN existing system. since
there was no system To remodel, IL was
to build anew, from the ground up. Al the
close of the Spanish American War there were
virtually no children at school. not even In
Havana and the larger cities. Most Of the
parochial schools. even. were disbanded. and
in a population OF about a million and a half
the education OF the children was quite for
gotten. In November. 1899. after almost a
year OF American occupation. the reports
showed a nominal school enrolment of only
about 1000 pupils. To the Cuban Secretary
Of Justice and Public Instruction in Gen.
Brooke's Cabinet had been intrusted the work
Of drawing up a School law. but IL had been
| drafted along the lines of the Spanish regime.
and It's schedule was an impossible one, pre-
senting such manifest abSurdities as the teach
ing Of higher mathematics to children OF 10.
Down TO this time the enforcement of law
and order and various strictly sanitary and
military problems had occupied the energies
| Of the American officials in Havana, but IL
was now evident that the serious matter Of
founding a system Of public schools could no
longer be delayed. II was then that Mr..
Frye came to Cuba at the suggestion Of the
Secretary Of War and on the invitation Of Gen.
Brooke. whose personal friend he was. Mr.,
Frye investigated conditions thoroughly and
made an unofficial report 20 Gen, Brooke. II
was plain that nothing could he done without
a new and practical School law. One hot
evening Mr.. Frye went home and worked till
morning by the light Of the candles, The next
day he took a workable law TO Gen. Brooke.
1t was promptly signed by the Cuban Secre-
tary Of Justice and Public Instruction, and at
last the foundation was laid. From that hour
10 this no changes have been made in the law.
by Gen. Brooke or Gen. Wood. and Its success
Il assured
The field was now clear for Mr.. Frve's work,
and he set about it with characteristic energy.
lie had previously volunteered to serve five
years in the Philippines without pay. and he
offered his services here on the same terms.
A salary Of 5000 was offered but declined
/ liz u ~ 1fNflNllk NV Rufllf NhltTN b~ his
first. assistant. $500. but he has never kept
for his own use any portion Of this, dovoting
II each month TO relief work among the more
endowed for his work, both by temperament
and training. His energy Is remarkable: his
patience houndless; his COURAGE and cheerful
labored early and late, his overtaxed system
gave way during his recent trip 10 the I nited
States, when he perfected the plans for the
teachers excursion. and he lay in for some time
in Boston. but even from his sick bed he die
tated correspondence and gave directions
for Carrying out the plan,
and superintendent Of Schools in California,
and a Teacher Of methods in the Chicago Normal
School, He has lectured before teachers
associations in nearly every State in the Union,
and is the author Of q round dozen OF success
full text books. His home Is now in southern
California, whore he ia engaged in the raising
of horses and the culture ~ oranges.
At the beginning Mr.. Frye met with violent
opposition on the part q the Cuhans They
q public school system, avowedly based on
that of the United States. was unduly 10 Amer
icanize the Cubans and further annexation:
Washington WAS besieged with protests. and
letters. and petitions against the new system
that .,sd p smedic Nj, ~ pf re ,. yss the , most nc "o 5dhbIS
Of opposition collapsed and the reaction set in.
To-day the flood tide OF native enthusiasm
over Mr.. Frye and his work is at is heIght,the
surate with the abuse which was heaped on his
head AT first. The revulsion Of popular feeling
was natural enough Mr. Frye simply went
fulness all who came into his office 20 denoInce
him and unfailinsly expressing, his faith, in
the Cuban people when they should under
turned aside 70 notice the torrent Of vitupera.
ton that filed the columns OF the papers all
over the island. To-day the active work OF
carrying on and perfecting the new school sys-
TEN is largely In the Cubans' own hands.
There are now 3,o7s schools on the island.
with about 10000 schoolchildren enrolled
| mod, IN school furniture has been purchased
and cent 10 the different municipalities the
pupils pup Is, OF Ost the Island SSha are s furnished ,1ss s IT ch books
night schools for adults are about to be- estab-
lished. and a plan has been formulated for a
| teachers normal school on the island during
join the excursion to the United States.
Particular stress should be laid upon the
the teachers are Cnbans, boards OF education
are made up OF CubanS, the alcalde or Mayor
in each town being e%x-offlcio a member OF the
board. and each municipality conducting rs
to great and pardonable pride on their part,
and they are doing all within, their power to
make il n success Local ambition in many
cases runs high, as i~nstanced by the alcalde
who went 10 Gen. Wood and asked that a system
Of municipal taxation, might be, established in
his town. which. he said. desired to make its
own appropriation for the school fund and be
s~elf-supporting, instead Of being dependent
on the island revenues. This request Gen.
Wood WA obliged TO refuse. ~ the time for
municipal taxation has not yet quite arrived.
| and when it does the system must necessarily
be uniform. but the case deserves to go on
record. Mr., Frye modestly asserts that the
success Of the work is almost entirely due TO
| the spontaneous and universal assistance
| the Cubals have given him since they UNDER
| stood the import OF the system.
The supply of books, material. &c. free to
charge TO the pupils, Is probably the most re-
markable in the world II was made neCes-
sary by the empty treasures and the impos-
sibility OF raising money sufficient for the phr-
pose by any system OF Internal revenue until
the country could recover somewhat from the
devastating effects of the war. The law pro-
| vIded for compulsory attendance at school.
| Now, II the children went TO school they must
have books, but the parents had no money with
which 10 buy books. and frequently. there were
no parents, there being upward OF 5000 or
phans ON the island to-day, according to the
official returns. The time will probably come
when such, lavish furnishing OF supplies will
no longer be necessary. but that will not be
for a year at least. To the Cubans the arrival
of the school furniture and supplies. maps.
bookcases, globes, blackboards, &c. especially
in the remote portions of the island. marked
a red-letter day, Never before had such equip
ments been seen.
The awarding Of the contracts for that fur
days and nights Of iinceasing inspection and
vigilance were devoted TO il. Representatives
of both. cuban and American frms svarmed
about Mr.. FRYE as soon ~ II was known that
the furniture was 10 be bought. for the value
Of the equipments needed mounted up TO more
than s55O,O0. the order being the largest Of its
sort ever placed. This provided for over 10000
pupils, and II was thought AZ the time that II
would do for the whole Of the present school
year, bur me increase OF enrolment has been