Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-14
RELIGION AND SCHOOL
Wide Separation Maintained
in the Philippines.
PROSECUTING BARRED
-
UNCONVENTIONAL PREFERENCE
OF THE TEACHERS UNKNOWN.
Selection Of the Instructors Accom-
plished on Wholly Non-Sec-
tartan Basis.
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald
MANILA, June IL, 1904.
The most sensitive nerve of the educa-
| tional situation here has never been shock
ed. No attempt has ever been made by
any American teacher, so far as is known,
to Introduce religion into the schools.
Every one was thoroughly instructed on
this point at the outset, and it is believed
that the instructions have been faithfully
observed. The government does not pre-
tend to control the thoughts or conscienceS
of it's teachers, or interfere with their scru-
Piles in any way, and no restraint is exer-
cised upon their conduct after school, but,
during stated hours. religious exercises are
forbidden. Religious topics may not be
discussed and no religious instruction IS
permitted.
l happened to be in Rome when the first
army OF American teachers was sent to The
Philippines three years ago, and Cardinal
Rampolla and other eminent prelates there
were very much concerned about the move
ment. The Catholic papers in Rome had
published grossly exaggerated statements
regarding the educational policy and the
iteHIoiS VI the UnlteQ states, ana con.
veyed the impression that 600 Protestant
missionaries had been shipped over into our
new possessions to proselyte. Cardinal
Rampolla and even Cardinal Satolli al
though he had lived in the United States
four years. had that impression and 1t was
impossible to convince them that it was a
mistake
But l am sure that the officials Of the
holy see both at Rome, in the United
States and in the Philippines are now con-
WINGED that there was no sectarian purpose
in the organization of the school system
here and several priests of whom l have
cause to complain Of the conduct of the
American teachers in meddling with relig-
ious affairs.
Selection of the Teachers.
There is no record, and nobody knows the
representation of the several denomina-
tons in the corps of teachers. They have all
been selected by strangers after civil serv-
ice examinations from lists of eligibles, ac-
cording to their standing, but, if the native
teachers are counted, the Catholics are very
largely In the maj ~fty, for every Filipino
is nominally a Catholic, or at least has been
baptized and will be buried in that faith.
Commissioner Smith, who in the divis. on of
duties has been given charge of the educa-
uonal system, is Catholic from California.
DR.. BarrOWS, his subordinate, the Superin-
tendent of education, is a Protestant from
the same state. At least two of the division
superintendent are Catholics, and there
may be others, but nobody here seems to
know. 1t is the general impression among
officials of the bureau of education that
Protestants or non-Catholcs are in con-
siderable majority among the American
teachers but their denomnatlonal connec-
tons unknown.
AT first the conservative element In some
of the provinces objected to Protestant
teachers, and asked for Catholics. 1t took
them some time to become accustomed to
the new regime. The schools had always
given religious instruction, so that 1t was
more a matter of habit than principle for
them to ask why their children We're not
taught the catechism as usual; but now,
after year so, everybody Tell IN with
the new plan, and has been conV.nced that
it is better to cOnfine religious Instruction to
the church and the home. There are pa
rochial schools in several of the parishes,
but 80 per cent of the children OF the Phlllp-
pines are now entirely without religious in
struction This is largely due, however, to
the division in and the Generalization of
the Ca thoIic church, the lack of priests and
funds If the Protestants had men and
money they might make serious inroads
unon tl,e Catholic fold, but they lack both.
Altogether there are less than a hundred
foreign missionaries of all the Protestant
denominations in these islands
The Native Teachers.
No part of the population appreciates the
Improvement in affairs since the American
occupation more than the native school
teacher During Spanish domination the lot
of the country pedagogue was sorry one
The city schools were taught by the 1rlars
and lay brethren, but In the country parish
es the few lay teachers were entirely SUD-
iect to the priests. Their compensation
was a mere pittance which oftentimes they
were compelled to wait long time or
travel a long distance to collect. They pos
sessed the most limited learning, and had
the respect of neither the community nor
a
can rule most of the old teachers have
dropped out because they could not keep up
to the standard established by the civil
service commission. They were kindly and
generously treated, although they could not
be blind to The fact that the new admins
tration of educational affairs wanted to get
rid of them Most of them voluntarily re-
linqushed their positions because they real
lied that they could not meet the require
ments and were too honest to remain where
they were not wanted. few were dis
charged for Incompetence or insubordlna-
tion and many others would have been dis
posed of for similar reasons but for fear OF
offending the rich families with which they
are connected or the neighborhoods in
which they exercised considerable infiu-
ence.
The administration moved deliberately
and gradually compelled the undesirable
pedagogues to voluntarily abandon work
which they could not possibly perform. So
that the present list of native teachers is
an Illustration of the survival of the fttest
The principal and the essential condition OF
retaining employment was ability to speak
and teach English, and the ambitious ones
studied it with great zeal They tell of an
old lady in the Province of Tanauan who
was determined she would not give up her
school, and has shown remarkable industry
and tenacity in her study of English. She
has made remarkable progress in that and
other improvements. Naturally the younger
teachers have prevailed, and hence the
average age among the native corps is un-
der rather than over twenty-five years.
Pay Of the Teachers.
Special efforts have been made to en-