The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-06-08

office and possess also like work from
the Normal school, together with
samples of other studies such as
sketches and stories written by puplis
and illustrated by original drawings.
These u have shown to educators since
my return and they have been pro-
nounced OF exceptional high standard,
In the Normal schools manual train
ing department girls as well as boys
are taught to work in wood and make
all articles which are Indispensable in
the home and schoolroom; this is neces-
sary. for in many isolated districts the
teachers are forced to depend upon
themselves to provide such articles and
to be able to teach their pupils the
same
The teacher in Hawaii Is confronted
with many complications unknown to
the teacher on the mainland. On enter
ing school many of the children can
rot speak English and the study of Ian
guage. which embraces reading. geo.
graphy. history. composition. etc, is
found very difficult. Much object work
is necessary and teachers have to de-
vote time and energy to bring pupils
up to the required standard, and the
work in the lower grades is necessari-
ly slow. Excursions, objects and pic
lures are means to the end, and to
ones JOY is found the familiar Perry
picture in profusion.
Much stress is laid on letter-writing,
which. too, has very practical turn.
The pupils from the third grade up are
in correspondence with children of
other lands. Letters from Europe.
Asia and the mainland arrive by ev-
cry steamer and scarcely boat leaves
that the Honolulu children do not send
out answers. profusely illustrated by
paintings and drawings. as many of
the children are natural artists and
their illustrations are good. In this
way the schools do much to advertise
the islands, but the main object of let
ter-writing is to familiarize the pupils
with English.
1 feel sure the Honolulu children
would greatly appreciate a correspond
ence with our Oregon school children
and which would be of mutual benefit
and pleasure. 1 suggest that some of
the teachers or pupils in the different
schools over the state write to Mr..
w. H. Babbitt, superintendent of pub
lie instruction or Miss Alice Felker.
principal Kaahumanu school, and send
them names of pupils who would like
to correspond with their pupils and l
guarantee by the next steamer letters
both artistic and interesting will be re-
ceiWed.
Much attention is given to musical
instruction and you will be told that
no subject taught in the schools does
so much to uplift and Anericanize
these mixed races. Music Is one of the
most potent factors to inspire patriot
ism, and when one visits a school room
and hears 80 or 40 little brown, black
and white children singing together
THE Star Spangled Banner" or Amer
ica," your heart warns toward them
and you go away happier and better
American.
A striking fact to the visitor OF the
Honolulu public school Is the marked
decrease of coored children in the
higher grades, and when the high
school is reached, instead of being in
the great majority like in the lower
grades, they are only dotted here and
there. This to me was a marked
proof of the superiority of the white
race and the survival of the fittest.
Ir the ;erri'ory Of Hawaii there are
in all PA schools, 7O1 teachers and 21,-
AGA pupils, the pupils being of more
than a dozen different nationalitles,
distributed as follows: Hawaiians, A.
943: part Hawaiians, 1880; Americans,
1925; British, PCS; Germans, 29S; Port
uguese. 1888; Scandinavians, 80; Japa-
nese, 1863; Chinese, POSI-; Porto Ricans,
405, and other foreigners, 357.
The average salary of the public
school teacher is $612 yearly, the min
imum is $3.50, and the maximum Is
$4,000. Teachers of all the nationalities
represented in the islands are to be
found, there being no race restriction.
III