Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-07

H ature" is the common
Ia 81 MEI protest of that type of
szESAgGsTs9 American resident of the
Philippines who when he
was at home did not approve OF tho
policy of giving the negroes in the
south opportunities for education equal
to those afforded white children. That
the Fiipinos need to be educated, that
as a nation they will not be made indo-
lent by going to school, and, upon the
contrary, they will develop national
pride that will make for national in
dustrial development, Is the argument
of the American resident of another
type. One often hears that the exist
ing system of education in the islands
is not practical" yet an investigation
of the plan of education hardly leads
the disinterested investigator to such
I,conclusion.
During the Spanish regime there
were two classes of natives, the "gente
ilustrada," who lived upon the labor OF
the working class, and the "gente
baja," who constituted that class. They
were peasantry who perhaps did not
desire a great deal because illiterate
| persons in tropical countries have Few
wants that nature does not supply.
Since the American occupation slight
change in the social order is discernible,
although a decade is not long enough
ii
middle class, composed of Fllipinos
who are taking advantage of their op-
portunities to improve their condition,
! is gradually coming into existence and
| bids fair to become prominent social
| factor. This class is composed of per-
| sons in the commercial and profes-
sional walks of life. At present 1t Is
only in the larger centers of population
that tho change is noticeable. but 1t is
! nf
liberal educational system that in
! time this development will spread to
! the provinces, and that there Will grow
up a much to- be desired class of small
| farmers owning their own land. Al
! present most agricultural workers are
! landless tenants upon sugar rice or
coeoanut estates, owning nothing ana
! looking forward TO no prospect of in
dustrial independence.
! The aim of the educators is to pro-
| duce middle class sufficiently edu-
| Gated to keep their own accounts, man
| age their own affairs and harbor an
ambition to get ahead in the world. IT
! is contended that a moderately good
! education for the masses tends TO ere
ate such a class, and that at the same
time facilities should be provided for
| students who wish 10 take higher
| courses of instruction. Two forces
work against the carrying out OF the
policy advocated by the educators. The
! first is a fair amount of local American
| opposition to education in the ISLANDS
and the second is the annoyance of
! Filipinos who shell the woods during
! their campaigns for office, declaring
! that there will be early independence
/ and raising in the minds of the people
a question as to whether it is worth
! while to learn English in the local
| schools.
| As matters stand the schools are Civ
! ing encoura cement to the native who
desires to fit himself for a university
course, although there are many prac-
! tical courses of study. The primary
/ course embraces four grades, and may
| be completed in four years. The aim
OF tn. bureau of education is to reach
/ the entire Christian population. about
1000, coo, with these primary schools. 1t
is urged that this can be done in
| short time If the government Will FUR
nish the funds. At present there are
| 5000 primary schools with about 100000
attendance. II is estimated that there
| are needed 1900 more primary schools
! and 5000 additional teachers. The pres
ent system of primary school finance is
not only not sufficient for this increase,
/ but is hardly sufficient to continue the
present basis.
The primary schools seek to give the
/ young Filipino enough education TO
make the masses literate in English.
That is to say, to put them in touch
with the civilized world by teaching
them to write reasonably good English,
to read well enough to take an inter-
est in booLs and newspapers and 70
know enough about mathematics to
conduct ordinary trade transactions.
These primary schools also teach arts
and industries native to the islands
with a view both to preserving them
and of making the children proficient
i'm work in which most Filipino fami-
lies participate during leisure hours.
During the last year of primary in
struction the pupils are taught how to
make calculations relating to purchase
and sale, to keep books. to keep ac-
counts at bank, to homestead land and
to attend to other ordinary business
affairs. They are also taught some
thing about hygiene and sanitation
The boys are taught rudimentary agri-
culture, while the girls are instructed
in household duties, A special type OF
elementary Industrial school has been
planned, but not yet established.
The intermediate schools continue
this industrial education in connection
with ordinary text book studies. 1t is