Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-13
TEACHING FILIPINOS
THos. E. DENNIS TELLS OF THE
SYSTEM

| Prof. Thomas E. Dennis of Alabama. who
has been connected with the educational
| department in the Philippines for the past
| four years. has been in Washington several
| days. en- route from the orient TO visit rel
atives in his native state.
! When asked about the progress of the eff
| forts of Uncle Sam to teach the Filipino
he said
THE department is a success The Fill
| Pine student has made excellent progress in
| learning the English language, and 1 think
l would be correct in saying that the aver
age Filipino student is very nearly if not
quite equal to the American student in
learning English II we remember, in 1901
when the educational department was or
ganlzed, the conditions there were very I'M
favorable for educational work The ma
tives were hostile. no school buildings, no
school furniture, no books, in fact, nothing
with which to begin.
Many times an American teacher would
dash into a little town. not knowing a
single person, not speaking a word of the
language, with no school building, no furni-
ture, no books, no friends-well, what would
he do? We were not baffied, but did this
hustled around the town, dug up the presi
dente (mayor), found a good-sized nipa
(shack), put some bamboo poles around the
sides of the rooms for benches, and if there
weren't enough poles seated the children on
the floor, and gave notice that next morn
ing at half-past I o'clock there would be
open a modern university in that town; and
in twenty-four hours after reaching the
limits of this town he was lecturing and
teaching his classes with the rapidity of
railroad train. Now, this may sound lit
tie fishy, but it Is exactly the proposition
that the American teacher had for solu-
ton.
After Five Years.
But now, after five years of time and
experience, we find a school building in al
most every town in the archipelago, with
plenty of books and furniture.
THE schools are divided into primary, in
termediate and high schools. with three
grades in each school, Every one knows
what the primary pupils study. The inter-
mediate pupils have grammar, higher pri-
mary pupils study the same. The interme-
date pupils have grammar. higher geog-
raphy, hygiene, algebra, civil government
and agriculture. This is all supplemented
by literary societies, with debating which
AFFORDS ample opportunity for practicing in
speaking English
1T is wonderful to listen to these heated
debates in almost perfect English. And
too, from these intermediate schools we
have sent number of students to Amer
lea They attend the high schools here
without conditions and are holding their
own against American boys and girls with
ease
THE high schools are lust beginning this
year, opening in the month of June with
the seventh grade their junior class
From the best students we have de-
Veloped large force of Filipino teachers,
and think 1 am correct in saying that
many of these teachers are just as good in
discipline, their method of teaching and adj
Vancfng their pupils many American
teachers.
This teaching body is divided into prt-
mary and provincial teachers, the provin-
cial teachers having passed a regular civil
service examina ton.
There are SO many people in the United
states who are not aware of the excellent
work and success of the educational de-
partment of the Philippines. A number
have asked me to give them the real status
of the progress Of education there 1t af-
fords me pleasure to say that the Filipino
students have made rapid progress In
learning the English language. 1t is not
a question. but fact
The students who speak English and
study civil government are learning to
love American institutions, and in this stu
dent body lies the hope of Filipino indie
pendence. The face of a student of civil
government will beam with delight on
grasping the true meaning of some feature
of our government.
IF the government will keep the educa-
tional force in the Philippines to it's maxi
mum, in twenty years the ruling class
there will understand and love American
institutions, and in no other way can we
teach the Filipino to understand or love
them. l am glad that the educational de-
partment is so well organized and has been
so successful"