Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-12-19

grade work; and the stiff requirement
for entrance keep out all but acti
and brainy students.
The Commercial school would con
pare favorably with any like institr
ton in Kansas and is under the spler
did management of a former Dickir
sonian Prof. Peyton Carter.
| We find secondary schools with reg
ular high school courses; 129 inter
mediate schools with an attendance o
over 1900. There are 5000 primar.
schools with an attendance of 10000
All Of these schools are under the su
pervision of the 500 American teach
ers.
The usually prescribed course fol
high schools is pursued in these sec.
ondary or high schools, but in the in
termediate the instruction given is d.
vided between the common branches
of the intermediate course and special
courses Of instruction in school gar
dening, domestic science, manual
training, including mechanical draw
ing, carpentry, etc, and after two
years supervision in this intermediate
work, the writer is thoroughly con-
vinced that this domestic science and
manual training is of incalculable val
ne in public school work. l heartily
recommend its further introduction in
to our schools.
Let us now look into the finance
End financing Of these schools. First
we have the three sources of funds;
The appropriation of the Insular gov
eminent for the Bureau of Education;
appropriations out of the municipal
funds for the support of primary
schools; appropriations by Provincial
Boards for provincial schools. Add.
ing together these several kinds of
contributions, we have as a total of
resources provided for public instruc-
ton, $2,615,O0O plus private gifts of
$4,000. 1t will be seen that the
average expense per capita for educa-
ton is about 3012 cents. The expend-
iture per capita of population for pu5-
lie schools in United States while diff
fering much in different parts of the
union, averages for the whole country
about So.
There are about 800 American
teachers; $40 men and 25O women.
with an average salary of about $1,000
per annlm. There are over 800 Fill
Pine Insular teachers and about 4,40O
Filipino Municipal teachers, with
of SO a month through
tut the year. The whole force of |
Filipino teachers, including apprentice
eachers numbers over 5000, most Of
whom are young, 1000 under IS years
f age.
All schools are in session 40 weeks
er year, less delightful sprinkling
American, Spanish and Filipino
Olidays. The record of average per-
,ntage of attendance is worthy of
oecial notice. In all the provinces
'imary attendance IS per cent, inter-
ediate SO per cent, secondary 98 per
mt, The regularity of attendance,
pecially as the higher grades are
ached, argues well for the establish
g of new habits and for the solidity
instruction.
The great mass of public school pu-
Is are children of the poor or lowest
lsses. Education it is hoped will
Ike them Independent producers,
lied workmen, intelligent citizens of
cir towns, free them from debt
sc their standard of life and elevate
Fir moral character. This is the fin
test of the serviceability of educa-
n, the standard by which this sys-
q Of public instruction must in the
| be judged,
Advance is noticeable among the
ipino teachers. These teachers
tinue to gain in reliability, strength
character and moral purpose.
The production of this force of g.
teachers impress me as the most
liking result effected by the Bureau
Education. Their mission prom
) to be the best and most influential
ce in the life of the islands.
The Sorsogon Provincial School was
former station. 1t is 500 miles
tn of Manila in extreme Southern
ION, the land of BicOls. Here we
large new school building, the
is constructed of concrete blocks,