The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-07
America In the
Philippines
V.-NATIVE THIRST FOR
KNOWLEDGE.
BY FREDERIC J, HASkIN.

literacy the educators encountered a
somewhat unloOked-fOr factor-a thirst
I0r knowledge that did not hesitate al
great sacrifice in its pursuit The dues-
Ton now at issue among representatives
OF CIVIL government in the Philippines.
and among American residents of the is
lands generally, is not whether the na-
yves VIII avail themselves Of OppOrtuni-
ues presented, but whether the Filipino
OF the future, if educational facilities are
expanded so rapidly as the demand re-
quires, viii not be too highly educated to
interest himself IN any work less ambi-
lous than commercial career or a pro-
/ tessiOn.
From the man in the street one fire.
quently hears the assertion that the ma
/ i've rapidly acquires learning 'fup to a
certain point. From school teachers and
supervisors OF school work comes the
STATE ment that the Filipino is not only n
sooq student ard an apt pupil in primary
work, but that he is no more limited in
capacity than the youth Of other lands
MS tendency is to develop as good an
education as he can get in the school he
dttends, and to continue his studies out
| OF school Experienced instructors assert
mat IN this particular the islanders are
/ more like the japanese of the present ne
/ other country.
Among persons Of intelligence, who are
~ tOuCH with the situation as a result
OF residence in the islands, there is a d.
/ NSIsSHce or opinion as to what policy
should be followed by the United States
]
/ IN schools Tor natives, but all agree that
/ lhe desire to acquire education Is earnest
ana practically universal among the civi-
| HL5u peoples Encouraging progress is
oelng made al schools where pupils from
/ me more remote provinces are received
roughly speaking the American inter-
ested In industrial enterprises in the Phil
lpplneS depTecates the bigher aducafior
/ for natives upon the ground that thee
! IS at present a far greater need for la
DSr, skiiIsG ana unSkilled. than for legiOns
/ g1d Weil-educated young men and women
Inc educator insists that where the do
nano Tor broad education is 50 insistent
good must come to the peopIe as a resfiir
OF this demand being met.
Anere nave been many cases of physical
INJURY ana lnnum cradle instances of prf-
/ Vau0n as a result Of the Jealous efforts
Ot lhe student As a rule pupils i'm tia
grammar schools come to the class room
without breakfast, provided with two or
tllLee copper centavos-cOins worth a half
GSht-Wlth which to buy the midday meal
llIh Iuhcheon IS USUALLY bought from
s!tIeet vendors or small stores. Some
lLHits IL consists Of rice with chopped
meat put up in banana leaves or dried
lIsh OF bowl of soup. Oftener the chill
uteh buy dulce- -cOnfectiOns containing
uJue nutrition. There were So MANI IA
tie sufferers from malnutrftion sn0nS ri'o
children of the poorer classes in Manila
tildt luncneOns are Low being served in
the school buildings
The average high sohooI st,,5e,-t ~ l.
asked by a teacher TO perform an 1,ni1s,i-
any arduous task often deprives himself
OF tne proper amount Of time for sIeeD or
meals to accomplish it. This has been
PAL llcularly noticeable among students of
tennlnS normal institutes during vsca-
ions B0th young men and yOIirs- VIZ
men Hn az the vacation assemblies have been
Iound burning the midnight oil until or
les at O'Clock ''U"
While perfectly honest and entirely al
Iulsuc americans in the Philippines dis
I s.E-
De emphasized in the schools ali 40
agreed tnat the Importance and dignity
Or agriculture should be more strongly
impressed upon the minds of the cbfldrer
Because a virtual stage of neonaoa ev y-
istsd among the labOreTs upon the bacf-
eHuds during spanish times filters of A.
NJ M MeIe looked upon as mere drudCcs
me spread Of English education and tbe
upgfoWth OF western ideals. may eradicate /
the hoIon that .he farmer is al the b,+
tom or the social scale and his occuns I
~, tUI ole Io os despised. Just now, with /
vast areas OF untenanted soil aIafTa HE I
Tor cultivation, there is proportionateI,-
eInitiier need for clerks, merchants /
PHYSICIANS and lawyers than there is for l
expert tillers Of the soil
Recently an American Judge of n pbiti.,-
plHe court VINO had occasion to address /
an audience cOmp0s ID of native st175ortg /
iia III Ihe statement that it is better to no 1
d sooQ FARMER than a poor LAWYER He
subsequently learned that ne was bei1,r
wigelY quoted by those who heard him
'Iild unanimously condemned as a con- |
cienceleSs prevariCdtOr. Farmers ara &C., /
or genie baja." and the con,y1cro;a H.
ana professional men are s'gonte i1-,s
~ aua- " an Drofe ssions the law lead
tns 70 political office, is the biRbesf
therefore the lawyer is the most forfIr-t
OF uustradas.' Why, argues tbs t7iii,j,o
sSLIooiDoy. should an American iidga
seek 10 get anyone to believe that a "a
10 IlISt On any uegr 3e OF prosperity is tn
eQuai OF the most bTiefless of blrri.s+eyso
when agricultural schools were onened
me arlstocratc young Fflipfnos yvbo
We're directed 70 plant seeds ana III
i ~ .. IIelus, came to school the second
DAY accompanied by their servants TbeV,
thIOrineo the teachers that they had
Drought boys to do the planting and
IIl l.,.-IlS incident to gaining a practical
NuoWledge OF farming. If the islanders !
should once become imbued with the idea /
or the dignity Of agriculture that caused
the kandyan kings of ancient Gevlon to
nv ia part OF their time plowing. and
Wnlch makes Kentucky gentleman
FARMER or southern planter fake nrids /
IN his position, great results might a. /
erue. There are plenty Of broad acres
easy terms PN"
In the domestic science schools which
now form part of the system. il is
round that even the girls of wealth and
social position are keen TO learn hon /
to become good housekeepers. I'm 10 tbe
present time there has been a desrth of
properly equipped teachers for this d.
lafthie NJ W omen with uniYe rsitv train
ng and faculty for hOuseWiferv are |
somewhat difficult TO find I'm America
but there are now about fifty exponents
II the art of making things that -"notb
sr used to make teaching the FfIinino
girls the mysteries Of success i'm ME
manufacture and other forms of cook
ary indispensable in a well regulated
nome The girls subscribe heartily To
ne sentiment OF Owen Meredith thar
CIVILIZED man cannot live without
,ooks.' As every Filipino maiden asDires
% become the head Of a hOusehold-pref-
rably large One-the few high schools
where the kitchen is the class room ave
'rOwded with students. They are as ann
)itious to master the subject of cookery
Is are the young men learning trades
n the manual training schools or those I
n the nigh schools preparing themselves
or professions.
Public instruction IN the PHILIPPINES is
iow organized under thirty-five school /
DIVISIONS, the department Of CITY schools
n Manila, four insular schools located !
\ Manila. and the government of tile
dOrO province. The most northerIv
choOl is on the Island Of Batan. mid
yay between Luzon and Formosa. The
most souJhsrly one Is at Sissi in the
lulu archipelago. The distance between I
heso geographical limits Of american .
duCatiOn in the islands is more than
900 miles. Between Batan and the
outhern shores Of the Sulu sea there
re indeed MANY sorts and conditions o. e