The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-14
SCHOOLS FOR THE FILIPIN0S
WHAT rs BEING DONE w HAT WAS LEFT UNDONE DUR
ING THE SPANISH REGIME-T0 EDUCATE THE BEST
METHOD OF AMERICAN IzING THE NATIVES

are Of the opinion that the best way
| to Americanize the Filipinos is to educate
them in schools organized on the Amer1-
can plan Rebellious natives may lay
down their arms, only to take them up
again later, but the new generation, which
is learning English and singing the Star
Spangled Banner" while absorbing the
idea that Uncle Sam Is really a be-
nevolent old codger, anxious to bestoW
knowledge, will not be in the least dis
posed to indulge in insurrection.
Already schoolhouses are being built
everywhere, and everybody tries to speak
English, even if it is only hello"
Everywhere the young men and women
are becoming eager students and many
towns are clamoring for American teach
erS
Instruction in English Is deemed most
important Of all. The natives are most
anxious to learn it, and there is no object
in perpetuating the Spanish language in
the islands, inasmuch as only small
portion Of the native population under
stands much Of it.
There is still great need Of school ap
paratus and text books, notwithstanding
| the fact that three-quarters Of a million
American school books have already been
shipped to the Philippines, together with
enormous quantities of school supplies.
| including 10000 modern school desks. At
present most Of the children have to sit
on benches without backs.
Requirements Of Teachers. go.
| Men and women Of every profession and
| walk Of life have applied for employment
| as teachers in the Philippines but only
those who have made teaching their voca-
| ton are accepted, and the requirements
are rigid not only as to their experience
and capability, but as to health. They
must be physically sound able to with
stand a tropical climate, and willing to
| take whatever location may be assigned
| to them.
| Our agricultural colleges will furnish
instructors in farming. who will teach
the natives how to get the best and the
| most out of their land. In the trade
schools will be taught blacksmithing, car
pentering, cabinet making, painting, etc.
1t is fact worth mentioning, incident
| ally, that the American women have been
| particularly successful as teachers in the
islands, winning the confidence Of the ma
| tives by their sympathy and tact.
There are in the Philippine islands three
distinct races-the Malayan, with forty
seven tribes; the Indoesian, with sixteen
| tribes. and the Negrito. with twenty-on one
| tribes. Thus the problem Of education
in the archipelago is rather complicated
| one.
| One difficulty has been the selection Of
suitable text books, those used in America
| oOAA6 III IletIly cases undesirable because
| they deal with things unfamiliar to the
Filipino child. Such words as STRAW
berry" "snow," Jack Frost" and fairy
possess no significance for the young folks
in the Philippines.
Education Made Compulsory.
| Primary instruction is to be made OBJ
ligatory for all Filipino children between
| the ages Of and IL years. They are no.
| ticeably bright and precocious, learning
rapidly, and, In addition to excellent mem
| cries, they possess the mechanical i'm
pulses Quickly learning English, they
speak it on the street, and are teaching
| their parents.
They have yearning for knowledge
an eager desire to read our books, so that
their "eyes may be opened as they ex-
press it. These little brown children are
very orderly and easy to manage, seldom
quarrelsome and never dtsrespectful. One
teacher reports that he can more easily
govern 800 Filipino children than fifty
young Americans.
The native boys are most fond Of foot
ball, leap-frog, pitching pennies and flying
kites, introducing the element of gam
bling wherever possible. Of the games in
troduced by the American teachers they
take most interest in baseball, hop scotch
and prisoners base.
The girls enjoy running games, song
ambulance games and jackstraws; but the
American teachers have introduced among
them blind mans buff, hide and seek
jumping the rope, crack the whip and the
dressing of dolls.
It may be realized what a revolution II
educational methods in the Philippine.
: has taken place when it is explained that
under Spanish rule, the friars made ever,
effort to discourage popular instruction
except In religion. Only a favored few
were permitted to learn anything bu
catechisn, and Filipino youth educated
in Europe or at Hongkong was, after his
return, followed by spies to see If he spoke
to others Of liberty or free thought. II
the end he was generally accused by tn,
friars of being a f1llibustero, and deportet
or exiled.