The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
RAPID PROGRESS.
Organizations of Public Schools
in New Possessions.
Federal Government Meeting
Needs of Popular Education.
NELSON is INTERESTED
Kansas Superintendent Study
ing Subject in Detail.
Practical Agriculture Taught
In Porto Rican Schools.
NELSON is INTERESTED

Frank Nelson. state superintendent of
public instruction, has been taking a
great interest in the progress of education
and the building up of educational sys-
tenn in the new possessions of the United
States He is probably one of the best
informed men in the west on the subject.
He believes that the educational work
that is being done in the island posses
sions is one of the most important factors
in the solution of the questions pertaining
to the conditions that prevail in these is
lands. 1t is significant fact that the
national government has given all pos
sible encoura cement to popular education
ever since the islands came under it's
Mr.. Nelson says the work of establish
ing a public school system in these is
men and excellent results have followed
1t is doubtful if the public schools ever
section of the United States under equal
ly adverse conditions. In speaking of the
edueational work in the islands Superin-
and porto Kieo 81 has sos population Of
markable feature of the population is
that it is mostly rural; Only 81 per cent
Cuba 1928 per cent live in sucn cities and
in the, United States 29.2 per cent: The
NOTED from the fact that 81 per cent of
the ,l land is occupied by its owners.
co is most encourag ing- During the past
year p per cent Of Of all insular funds.
educational purposes. The average school
year is nine months, much longer than
der Spanish rule there were but 612
schools in the island; now we have over
in the way of furniture and apparatus
when we took charge of theh work. Much
that under DR.. Brumbaugh's administra-
ton more than 1900 modern American
school desks have been put into the
Much attention is given to the study of
agriculture in the Porto Rican schools.
There are 20 schools in the islands where
practical agriculture is taught. One acre
that this training will have. a far reach
ing effect upon the industrial development
were but few schools in the country and
these were irregular: There are now more
than 600 rural schools.
1.-The public school system in Cuba was
esta blished in 1S42, but very little progress,
however was made during. the Spanish
rule. When took possession of the is
land it was found that only per cent of
higher education and but "a per cent
Last year the educational work of the
island was Teorganized according to the
as result thousands of III pnbiic schools
are now open in different parts Of the is
in Cuba It is estimated that it viii re- re-
quire almost 5000 teachers to instruct
rollment in Cuba during the last few
years from a comparatively few to sew
the remarkable epochs in modern educa-
uonal work Larger facilities are now
given for higher education The un1Ver-
sity of Havana has recently added the
departments of Letters and Sciences,
Medicine and Pharmacy and Law Mod
ern text books, up-to-dates school furni-
been introduced into many of the schools
with very gratifying results.
The educational problem i'm the Philip
pine islands appears to be more difficult
Dewey won his great victory in Manila
bay there was but one teacher to each A.
179 inhabitants in the islands. The work
said that the textbooks used at
least hundred years behind the times.
The great mass of the people were ig-
that such branches as arithmetic, reading,
writing, geography, sacred history and
the catechism were taught. Most of these
We're ia ught in the provincial dialect, not
in the Spanish.
when American rule was instituted eff
forts at once made to build up pub
lie schools. At first the American soldiers
We're the only teachers available. They
pointed superintendent of schools. 1t was
a wise appointment. Superintendent At
kinson at once proceeded to build up a
system similar to our own Last Septem-
Der Superintendent Atkinson informed me
that he had appointed 500 American school
teachers and that he expected to appoint
about 200 more within very short time.
1t is, therefore, safe to assume that fully
1000 American school teachers are now
engaged in teaching in the Philippine is
lands All of these teachers were selected
scholarship and ripe experience and will
become valuable factors in restoring
cial and political order in the islands. The
schools in the Philippine islands MAX
conceded that they are decisive forces in
the solution of the economic and social
problems that demand the most careful
attention in our insular possessions.