Evening star., 1902-08-23
Public School System in Phil
ippines Defended.
INTERESTING REPORT
ACTING SUPERINTENDENT BOW
EMS STATEMENT.
After Giving Facts He Makes Asser-
ton That There is Not a Ma
terial Allegation True.

The insular division of the War Depart
ment today made public defense of the
public school system of the Philippine Is
lands written and signed by Frank H. Bow
en- acting superintendent of public fnstruc-
ton for those islands. The statement is in
reply to an article appearing in the Catho-
lie Citizen of Milwaukee on May last I'M
der the caption Protestant Ministers Run
ming Philippine School System This
ticle was radical attack upon the school
system of the Philippine Islands, alleg
ing the use of the public school
system as a proselyting agency and gem
orally charging prejudice against Cathol-
icsm in the school administration there
The article was referred on May TO the
civil governor of the Philippine Islands
The War Department Is just in receipt of a
reply from Acting Civil Governor Wright
inclosing official report from the acting
general superintendent of public instruction
of the Philippine Islands.
Not Warranted by Facts.
In his reply Mr.. Bowen says:
The statement that the department of
public instruction is officered by Protestant
ministers is not warranted by the facts
The general superintendent. Fred. w. AT
kinson. is not a Protestant clergyman, as
charged, neither has he any theological
training. Mason s. Stone, city Superntend-
ent of schools for Manila, is not Presby-
terian clergyman and is not Presbyterian.
f. B. Bryan, principal of the Manila Nor
NAL School, is not a clergyman, and neither
of these persons has ever studied in theo
logical Institutions.
'Of the twenty persons who are now or
have been division SuperintendentS of
schools, only one has ever been clergy
man. and two others have had a little theo-
logical study. AS to the charge that seven
out of the ten division superntendents are
Protestant ciergymen and have never
taught school in any place before coming to
the Philippines, it should be noticed that
there are eighteen division superintendents
and the records show that every one OF
them has had at least four years active
work as teacher or supervisor, prior to ar
rival here, and the average is in the neigh
borhood of nine or ten years, two of the
division superintendent having had seven
teen years experience, Including in one
case eight years state superintendent.
and one has had twenty-one years in active
service.
AT least three of the division superin-
tendents are not Protestant clergymen, as
they were appointed from list submitted
by prominent leaders of the Roman Catho-
lie Church in the United States. In the Sc
lection of the other division superintend
ents. as well as the selection of all the
teachers, training, experience, ability and
character We're the points considered.
Nearly nine hundred teachers were ap-
pointed from the United States About
half this number were appointed by the
general superintendent from among the ten
or twelve thousand applications on file in
this office In making appointments care
was taken to secure professional teachers,
i. e., men and women who are in SYM
pathy with the work and making it
their vocation in life.
No Religious Distinction Made.
"In cases of more important appointees
special and thorough Investigations have
been made. No religious distinction has
been made nor has any race line been
draWn-t1e sole desire being to secure COM
petent, enthusiastic teachers of the highest
character. However, it was deemed wise
to require that appointees shall be citizens
of the United States.
THE remainder of the teachers were ap-
pointed by prominent educational authori-
| ties in the United States to whom the
| general superintendent delegated limited
| appointing power. The same instructions
were given to these parties as governed
| the direct appointments
After enu.uGrating the various educa-
| tiCnal institutions in this country from
| which teachers and school officials are ap-
pointed. Mr. Bowen says:
Many of the men and women appointed
| by these Institutions. as we'll as by the
general superintendent, are Catholics. The
| question of the religious belief of appli
| cants and appointees was never considered
| Until late in 1901. At that time a special
| lot of applications, gathered by the author
| tiles of the Roman Catholic Church in the
| United States, was sent to the civil gov
| ernor of these islands and transmitted to
| the general superintendent. From th3se
| special lists three division superintendauts
| and twenty-five teachers were appointed
| In reporting these appointments to the
| civil governor the general superintendent
stated:
| 81 have had much difficulty in finding
| people in this lot of applications who are
| possessed of the educational preparation
and teaching experience which is required
| of other appointees in this department.
| Those who have not been selected seem to
| be wholly unsuitable
| considering now some Of the more spe-
| cific accuse tions in the article; the state
ment that a plan is in operation to fix
these native candidates for teachers while
| they are attending the normal schools, that
| double salary is offered to native teachers
| who apostatize and attend Protestant Sun
| day schools, and that such are given the
| choice of positions in the provinces, has no
| basis in fact. The salaries of native teach
| ers are fixed and paid by the municipalities
| where these teachers render service. AS
| the municipal officers are almost entirely
| natives, and devout Catholics such a dis
| elimination Is manifestly impossible. Dvis-
| ion supernt endents appoint the native
| teachers, but cannot fix the salaries in an
arbitrary manner. Naturally the graduates
| of the normal schools will be most In de-
mand here, as in the United States
Not One Material Statement True.
In conclusion Mr.. Bowen says: