The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-20
FROM PORTO RICO
]. A. Crews Writes of tduca-
ticn in the Island.
One lhousa d Schools in 1902, Still the Vast
Amy Of Children Is in Need
Of Education.

To the Editor AS there is
at this time a great educational move
in North Carolina, feel that your many
readers might be glad to know some
thing about how our, / had as well say,
friends and fellow citizens down In the
pretty and faraway little island of Porto
Rico are getting on in this respect.
While on my tour of the West Indies
in the early part of this year 1T was my
good fortune to get to Porto R1co, ana
while there | had the pleasure OF calling
on both Governor William II. Hunt ana
the new Commissioner OF Education,
Mr. Samuel M Lindsay, of Pennsylva-
MIA. Governor Hunt kindly furnished
me the first annual register OF Porto
Rico, issued under his direction, while
Mr.. Lindsay furnished me with both the
report Of the Commissioner of Education
and the report of the census of Porto
Rico, the latter being taken under the
direction of the War Department. From
these reports ! gained much highly
valued information in regard to the pro-
greSs education was making on this
beautiful southern island, which is now
and is likely to continue to be far into
the distant future a part of the United
States. To give as much information in
as little space as possible / do not know
what better | can do than TO copy tho
old commissioners letter of transmittal
of his report to the government at Wash
ington, which is as follows:
Department of Education of Porto Rico,
Office of the Commissioner,
San Juan, =. r., Oct. Is. 1901.
Sir-I have the honor to transmit here
with my report on education in Porto
Rico during the first year of civil gov
eminent. This report is prepared in
harmony with section 25 of the act of
Congress, approved April II. 1900, and
in response to the request of the Hon.
e. A. Hitchcock, Secretary of the Inte-
rior, in his letter Of June %, 1901.
1t may not be amiss to recite that on
October Is, 1900, / submitted provis-
ional report on education to the honor
able Secretary of the Interior, which re-
port was published at Washington. 1t
covers the period of civil government
prior to my taking charge of the duties
Of my office and the first month of the
school year under my administration. 1t
was necessarily brief and fragmentary.
It's statements were, however, correct.
Again, at the close of the first year of
civil government the Hon. Charles H.
Allen, governor of Porto Rico, requested
a report covering the work of this de-
partment of the iEsular government. This
report was written and appears as an
appendix to the annual report of Gov
ernor Allen, published at Washington
in 1901. 1t presents somewhat III detail
certain phases of the work done by this
department during the year. 1t gives
only partial statistical data and confines
its discussion to concrete problems in
the administration of great work
In submitting this report l beg to i'm
press the vastness of the work that has
beee done and remains yet to be done in
order that an approximately adequate
system of schools may be provided for
the children of this island. The military
government had 612 schools in operation
in 1S99-1900. We increased the number
to 1872 for 1901 1901, and have completed
all arrangements to have 1000 schools in
1902 But 1000 schools, good as they
may be, cannot successfully cope with
the tremendous illiteracy and the vast
army of children in need of education in
Porto Rico. The present year found
about 1000 children in school. We will
enroll next year $4,000.
To provide educaupR,<or these chill
dren we will need 1000 teachers. The
schools last year suffered because we
lacked teachers. The Summer Normal
School, held in San Juan July s to Sep
TENDER 20, was attended by over 500 pu-
pills From this number we will secure
teachers for the schools But the
growth of the system will cause an in
creased demand for professionally train
ed teachers. To provide these we are
now instructing a large school at Rio