The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-02

In so high a cause as that of popular
education.
On Maui. four or more large schools
are attended mostly by Portuguese
children. One school has a majority of
Chinese pupils. Two prominent schools
nave large numbers of Japanese and
Porto Ricans-and other schools are
most cosmopolitan in their personnel.
| Most Of the parents of such children
just mentioned cannot vote but their
influence whether great or small would
tend to lower rather than to raise the
educational standards of a community.
The Portuguese as a rule prefer to
have their children at work on their
farms or on the plantation rather than
at school and the other nationalities
manifest little interest in school mat
tiers.
In many OF the school districts the
sugar plantation is the ruling power
Its influence is paramount On Maui
several of the plantations have given
parcels of land on which to construct
school houses and in other ways have
assisted the schools,-but it is often
the case that the school teacher and
plantation manager are at odds over
the law compelling the attendance at
school of children between the ages of
six and ffteen,-the plantation wishing
TO employ children under fifteen years
to perform labor.
In these days of paucity OF labor, II
is most probable that plantation au-
thorities who are illibernl in their ideas
might exert powerful influence hostile
to the advancement of schools both In
the election Of trustees and in the ac-
ton of trustees after election. At press |
ent the power exerted by the central !
I.z4
OF any one plantation.
Foreigners (others than native Ha- |
waiians) of the upper classes In coun- |
try districts do not send their children |
to government schools and so have lit |
tie active interest In local educational |
matters.
The native Hawaiians compose by far /
the greater part of the electorate in /
country districts. To their honor be il !
said,-they as a class have always most /
gallantiy supported the schools of the |
Territory as is shown by the liberal !
appropriations always allowed by Ha-
waiian legislatures and by the enact
ment of a compulsory school law. In !
the past, the king, Ieen. president or /
governor have always appointed the
one school board and so no mistakes
have been made.
cannot read and write English, the Ian
guage taught in the schools. In proof |
of which may be mentioned that the
so-called Home Rule legislature was
conducted in the Hawaiian language
and In the present one, though especial
efforts were made by both political par
ties to elect only English-speaking citi-
Zens. Hawaiian interpreters will be en-
ployed.
Now if the average American citizen
in the country districts on the main
land cannot elect suitable school trus-
tees, how much less can Hawaiian citi-
zens. uneducated for the most part in
the English language despite their keen
interest in the education of their chill
dren. do so without making grave mis-
takes?
In this our transition state, this
change from Hawaiian TO American
principles and methods. it is the duty
Of our legislators as leaders of their
people to adopt the best of American
deals-the best for the whole Terri
.ory.
In the case of schools and school sys-
EN- the copying has already been ac
KAMAAINA.