Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-06
AMERICA i'm THE PHILIPPINES
VI-NATIVE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
By Frederic j. Haskin

Philippine curt, who had occasion
to address an audience composed OF
native students, made the statement
that 1t is better to be a gooC farmer
than a poor lawyer. He subsequently
learned that he was being widely quot
ed by those who heard him, and un-
animously condemned as a conscience
less prevaricator. Farmers are tao
or "gente baja," and the commercial
lists and professional men are "gente
ilustrada" OF all professions the law,
leading to political office, Is the high
est, therefore the lawyer is the most
fortunate of "ilustradas" Why. argues
the Filipino school boy, should an
American Judge seek to get anyone to
believe that a farmer of any degree of
prosperity is the equal of the most
briefless of barrister5?
When agricultural schools were
opened the aristocratic young Filipinos.
who were directed to plant seeds and
till model fields, came to school the
second day accompanied by - scr
wants They informed the teachers
that they had brought boys" to do
the planting and hoeing incident to
gaining a practial knowledge of farm
ing. If the islanders should once be-
come imbued with the idea of the
dignity of agriculture that caused the
Kandyan kings of ancient Ceylon TO
put a part of their time plowing. and
which makes a Kentucky gentleman
farmer or a So ,thern planter take
pride in his position, great results
might accrue. There are plenty of
broad acres in the islands open to oc-
cupation upon easy ter.ls.
In the domestic science schools,
which now form part of the system,
it is found that even the girls of wealth
and social position are keen to learn
how to become good housekeepers. Up
to the present time there has been u
dearth of properly equipped teachers
for this department. Women with uni
versity training and faculty for
housewifery are somewhat difficult to
find in America, but there are now
about fifty exponents of the art of
making things that mother used to
make" teaching the Filipino girls the
mysteries of success in pie manufacture
and other forms of cookery indispen-
sible in a well-regulated home. The
girls subscribe heartily to the senti-
ment of owen Meredith that civilized
man cannot live without cooks" AS
every Filipino maiden aspires to be-
come the head of "A ousehold-prefer-
ably a large one--the few high schools
where the kitchen is the class room are
crowded with students. They are as
ambitious to master the subject Of
cookery as are the young men learn
ing trades in the manual training
schools. or those in the high schools
preparing themselves tor professions.
Public instruction in the Philippines
is now organized under thirty five
school divisions. the department of city
schools in Manila, four insular schools
located i'm Menila and the government
of the Moro province. The most north
erly school is on the island of Batan,
midway between Luzon and Formosa.
The most southerly one is at Siasi I'm
the Sulu archipelago. The distance be-
tween these geographical limits of
American education in the islands is
more than 1000 miles. Between Batan
and the southern shores of the Sulu
sea there are indeed many sorts and
conditions of men. Many teachers oc-
cupy posts remote from white settle
ments or the conveniences of civiliza-
tion. OF the thirty eight school super
intendents who are now in the islands.
thirty-fo four have served since the bu-
reau of education was organized. A
majority of the teachers find their work
attractive despite the hardships.
There is no better illustration of the
interest the Filipinos take in education
IMAM llle HbuIeS lHt iilCitdSo
In the number of native teachers. The
bureau of education was organized in
1901. In 1903 there were 5000 native
teachers. Reports for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1909. showed 6629.
Many of these teachers, in attending
the vacation assembly" to perfect
their education. have to make sea voy-
ages as long. in point of time, as the
! trip from New York to southampton.
Educators insist that the good work
that may be done by the bureau of ed
ucation depends wholly upon the fin-
ancial support given it. They declare
that much has been accomplished des-
pite the meagerness of the appropria =
ton. There are now twice as many
! teachers as there were in 1903, and the
average salary is lower than II was
five years ago, although there has been
an advance in the standard of training.
Filipino teachers are now receiving,
upon the average. 50 a month And
yet there comes from some quarters
! the cry that money is being wasted in
trying to educate the Filipino"
| Tomorrow: America in the Philippine
VII: Educating the Filipino.