The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-20
Public Schools OF
the Philippines

| Is an eSSentlal feature OIL AIlcIi-
canism--our duty is to overcome
t difficulties, not to shir'i them. The
history of the United States Is one of
problems achieved. Were II otherwise,
this nation would not be the world-powei
IL is today. When Thomas Jefferson
made the Louisiana purchase he brought
us, for the first time, face to face with
more than territorial expansion, and set
| the pace at which our nation has travel
ed ever since, and must continue to tray
ell, while there are difficulties to be over
come, problems to be solved, and de-
pressed peoples to be benefited and lifted
| up.
| When we came into possession of the
Philippine Islands, less than five years
| ago. the chief problem we had to solve,
was not the pacitication of the islands,
but the education of 100000 people, COM
paratively few of whom knew even the
/ meaning of the word education. We had
f, to deal with three distinct races-the Ne
grito, with q tribes: the 1ndonesian, with
! 16 tribes, and the Malayan. with AZ tribes,
| making a total of 81 different tribes. The
task was stupendous. Even in the same
races many of the tribes differ very
greatly, not only in the degree of civil
, ization, but in language, manners GUS
toms and laws.
Transportation, or the want of it. rath-
er, was (and is) q serious obstacle. Only
one railroad in the islands, and that only
12O miles long, a few small dirty steamers
running now and again, few good roads
and not Il single good bridge-this is all
the facilities we found for travelling over
hundreds of islands, whose total area is
equal to the combined aras of the five
New, England states, with New York add
ed.
Immediately the military government
was established, our brave soldiers, Of
f,.,.,,. Il hat how
could towards teaching these mixed peo-
pies that the Stars and Stripes had not
come to the Philippines to conquer and
enslave, but to set free and uplitt
Then came the call for American teach
Crs. and nobly they responded, men and
women. with Dr. Fred w. Atkinson at
their head. 1t was no pleasure excursion.
but self-eXpatriation for the sake of
depressed humanity, and for the honor
of Americanism. These loyal men and
women knew before they started that
they would not find in the Orient. "all
the comforts of home" but a difficulty
was in front of us, and as true Amer
cans they set forth to overcome that
difficulty.
Are they succeeding? Let the facts
answer
Number of school divisions in opera
ton, /.
Estimated total area, square miles,
114,792
Number Of American teachers, 1921.
Number of Filipino teachers, all first
taught English by the American teach
ers, 3.4OO.
Children enrolled in day schools, (more
than) 100000.
Enrolment in night schools (mostly
adults $1,000.
/ In addition to the difficulties already
named, DR.. Atkinson and his corps of
American teachers have been hampered
by the church and religious affiliations Of
the natives, the seasons of harvesting,
the customs and notions of centuries and
the natural inertia of the people.
We can form a further idea of the diff
fculty of this work from the fact that
when Spain acquired the islands over
800 years ago most of the Philippine Is
anders could read and write their own
languages; when we took Spain's place
the mass of the people could hardly do
more We had to begin where and in the
way, Spain should have begun three cen-
turtles ago.
1t is to be regretted that. owing to i'm
paired hearing, DR.. Atkinson whose work
has been so faithfully and ably done, has
been compelled to resign the general
superintendency and return home for
special medical treatment To conclude
this article ! quote from his last report:
1.-THE history of education in any country,
represented graphically, would show
certain sudden departures from previous
conditions, and these momentary changes
would be found to coincide with events
of great political Importance. Spain en-
perienced such at various times but. in
my opinion, it remained for the Spanish.
American war to bring about Il thorough
awakening to present needs and new in
terest in matters educational in the Phil
ippine Islands,"
To succeed DIR. Atkinson as general
superintendent, Governor Taft has ap-
pointed Elmer r. Bryan, of Bloomington.
Ind, at present superintendent of the
city schools OF Manila. The Filipino
teachers petitioned for Mr.. Bryans ap-
pointment The educational work in tho
Philippines is weighty contract, but the
outlook is bright.
Walter ]. Ballard.