The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-01
FACTS ABOUT EDUCATION
IN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

Editor Advertiser: So much has
been said about what we ought to do
with the Philippines, what we intend
to do in the Philippines. and what we
shall do with the Philippines that it
can hardly fail to interest your read
ers to know what we are actually do
ing in one particular line of work
that of education. OF course, the pub
lished reports are available, and it is
TO part of my purpose to summarize
them, or even to draw upon them for
facts. II Is rather my aim to give a
little intimate individual knowledge,
a close view of the work of education
in a few concrete instances and of
ried on. For this purpose l shall tell
only of work which falls Immediate
ly under my own observation in the
Province of Tayabas.
Tayabas is probably about an aver
age province in intelligence and in
educational interest and progress; SO
it may will furnish examples of con-
ditions and progress, though in a
strict sense no such thing as a sam
pie of these things is possible. Con-
ditions vary so much from place to
place that what 1 say of some of the
localities of this Province may will
seem strange to a neighboring super
intendent or teacher even a short dis
tance away.
Lucena. the capital of this Province,
is the seat of the Provincial High
School, which stands at the head of
the educational system of this Prov
ince. Perhaps it may seem that 1 am
beginning at the wrong end of the
system. but that is a way we have
down here. 1t is said that we begin
at the wrong end of every undertaking
except digging a WELL and in that case
we are unable to do so. However,
history teaches that educational sys-
tens are huilt from the top downward.
In Europe for instance, an elaborate
aGd sufficient system of universities
was established some centuries in adj
vance of a satisfactory system of pri-
mary schools. But enough of that. In
the Provincial High School at Lucena
are thirty-eight pupils taking the high
school courses, which are about a year
lower in grade than the courses at Ho-
nolulu High School. These pupils are
taking three different courses. though
in the main these are Identical. 1t is
the popularity of the plan for the
Provincial High School that it shall be
a school for specialization, and that
the special courses, preparing for def
mite occupations, shall occupy a very
large part of the attention of both pu-
pills and teachers. Accordingly. in this
school there are courses in teaching
nd in in a6 RI
course preparing simply for further
study. 1t will undoubtedly occur to
some reader that this must involve
goo1 deal OF expe ise Ger S;ll.Il
number of pupils. This is the case,
and such expenditures would not he
justified If they were to be made for
the benefit of the pupils only. But the
fact is that in this community. as in
no other community of which / have
any knowledge, society needs the SER
vices of these pupils with their special
training. l remember having heard it
argued that the Honolulu Normal
School ought to be supported, because
of the need of better teachers through
out the districts; but I do not remem-
Der having heard it argued that a
course in commerce should be estab-
lished in the Honolulu High School on
try for better business men. Yet this
is the prime consideration here OF
course, the young men concerned will
be benefited by their training, as will
also be the houses which employ
them; but the first and most important
consideration is that the people as a
whole need to have the business of the
country carried on the better. In the
Philippines as nowhere else is the work
of education of social import.
Besides the high school work prop
err, this school also teaches the three
grades of the intermediate course as
a preparation, and in these there are
a hundred and thirty-four pupils.
There are three schools in the Prov
ince organized and carried on eXclu-
sively for this grade of work. The
high school and intermediate school
work is carried on by American teach
ers with very little assistance from
the Filipinos of the teaching force.
Below these grades are the primary
schools. supported by the municipal
COVE rnments and taught exclusively by
Filipino teachers. To direct this work
there are in this Province twelve
American supervising teachers, or one !
for an average population of seventeen !
thousand and an average attendance of
one thousand. There are three grades |
in the primary course and three !
in the intermediate, though these |
grades" represent somewhat more /
than a years work each. The last /
reports received. though not quite |
complete vet, will serve to show some
numerical relations The |
by grades as far as shown !
was as follows: Grade l.. 5576; Grade I
IL. 1929: Grade Ill. 1864: Grade w. |
1893: Grade V. 12S; Grade VI, 10S; /
High School, first year. %; H. S. sec
ond year. 13; higher grades. none.
AS the high school and intermediate /
work is done by American teachers !
it may be dropped for the present with |
the simple statement that it is much |
like the work done by similar teach |
ers in America when hampered by |
lack of money to purchase everything |