BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-04-16
Porto Rigl|l Education.
PROGRESS OBSERVED BY
DEAN OF TEACHERS
COLLEGE.
system lnsular in Its General Scheme
About $4,000 Attending School Out Of
250,000-More Schools and an Appro-
priation of 100000 for Ten Years Need
ed.
The Evening Post.

The Evening Post.
Prof James Earl Russell, Dean Of
Teachers College of Columbia Univerr
sity, has just returned from two 4
weeks tour of investigation of the
schools system of Porto Rico, a duty /,
which he performed on the invitation
of the Porto Rican Government. About
one-half of Professor Russells stay was
spent in visiting schools and making
addresses on education at teachers con
ventions and before mass-meetings of
citizens in the rural communities and
interior towns. The rest Of his time
was occupied with an examination Of E
the normal-school and professional
work in San Juan, on the subject of
which he is an authority. Porto Rico,
according to Professor Russell, has
made rapid progress along all lines
during the past two years. The early
period of American occupation was a
period of adjustment, not in every case
progressive the terrific and destructive
| hurricane of 1893 was blow from
viii .h the islanders have not yet fully |
rec overed. The resulting financial de-
preston has not spared educational
interests.
1T may be said" remarked Professor
Russell, that in the first three years
after the Spanish war very little pro-
eress was made in schools development.
This was due not only to the general
situation, but to the absurd mistakes Of
the controlling powers. The good
york really commenced with the ap-
pointment by President Mckinley Of
DR.. M. G. Brumbauhg of the University
of Pennsylvania as Commissioner of
Education of Porto Rico. DR.. Brunl-
baugh succeeded in effecting thorough
ly good system Of public instruction..
DR.. Brnmbaugh served as Co1nmissi-
oner for a year and half, reslgrl11g last
autumn. His successor, the appointee
of President Roosevelt, is DR. Samuel
r M. lindsay, lately professor of socio-
, loov in the. University of Pennsylvania;
Dr. Lindsay Professor Russell feels to
,, be eminently qualified to succeed Dr..
Brumbaugh and to maintain his high
: standard.
The present system of education in
I Porto Rico is insular in its general
scheme. The Commissioner is mem.
Der of the Executive Council, which
> controls the entire financial adnlinistra-
> ton of the schools SYSTEM and certifi-
y Gates all teachers. Each locality has
= it's special School Board, charged with
!, the maintenance of the school buildings,
y the selection of teachers, and the duty
: of providing homes for them. Whe1-
ever they fail to perform this last-naned
Office they give each teaeher. III faaap edifflii
! ments are made subject to the approval
. of the Commissioner. The salaries are
paid by the Government, which is res
ponsible as we'll for school supervision
r and the furnishing Of all necessary
: supplies.
The inroads against i1iiteracJ have
been powerful. At present out of g
total school population of a quarter of
a million souls about $500 are regular
attendants OF school. While this pro
portion does not on its face seem 10
:. indicate a marked uplifting-over 60
per cent. of the population being
thoroughly unlettered-a healthy sign
of the times lies in the fact that every
school is packed beyond its capacity,
each with long waiting list. 1t may
readily be seen from this statement
how much roster the situation would be
were the Government able to make the
necessary appropriations for education.
But the Government is poor, saJs DR..
Russell, and although about one-fourth
of the total income is devoted to public
!. instruction, it is still impossible to do
even remotely what should be done.
'Dr. Brumbaugh appealed to Wash
ington for assistance" observed Profes-
sor Russell; sin my opinion an annual
appropriation Of 100000 during the
next ten years would work wonderful
transformation.
II should say" he continued, that
the first need in Porto Rican education
at the present time is more schools, IN
order to teach larger number The
second need is the material improve
ment of the teaching force The vaSt
majority OF teachers are the survivors
of the Spanish regime. Their standards
are exceedingly low, and their methods
those that would naturally result from
the old lax system of small private
schools and itinerant teaching. The
third need iss to counteract the bad
influence of the early influx Of Amer
lean teachers Many of them uent to
the schools directly from their army
life with continuing spirit OF adven-
ture.
The average teacher at the present
time, it should be said, however, in all
Justice, is earnest and enthusiastic. He
| is making an excellent Use Of the !
opportunities already at his disposal /
/ and is ready to take Advantage Of /
every new resource Over FIVE hundred +
lof them attended the last summer
session at the apita1. These teachers
are not only improving in Spanish, but
are also learning English. and the most