The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-22
UNCLE SAM SUCCESS
As SCHOOL 'MARM"
Philippine Teachers Say the
Work Has Been q Credit
to the Country.

kO0NVOp y GU COO ssSDROsssSSssS
Of the Christian Science Monitor. writ
lag from Lucena. Tayabas. Philippine
islands. says: American teachers In
the public schools Of the Philippines
are objecting TO certain criticisms
which have recently appeared In a
western paper. The author Of the ar.
tIcle In question spent few weeks In
the islands and based his opinions on
his Investigations. On the whole, he
considered the schools to be great
credit TO the American spirit In deal
ing with the natives. but said that the
school buildings were rather poor AZ.
fairs. and cited examples TO prove
that they were not ~ good az the
American travellers expected to find.
II 10 believed here that II 10 not un-
deratood that the FilIpinos are ex-
tremely poor and can not afford to err
ect expensive buildings. A town Of
twenty-five thousand inhabitants will.
~ q rule, have total revenue for all
school purposes Of less than four
thousand dollars in gold. Many teach.
ers can not be paid from this amount
and yet have enough left to erect
handsome school buildings.
One point that pleased the western
traveller was that In the schools the
only language permitted was English.
but he was surprised to find that In
conversation among themselves the
little native boys and girls used their
own native dialects. American par.
ents would not find their children
children converting In French after
having studied that language for only
4 short period. II IL cited that many
collcge.bred men can not speak with
ease any language but their own. and
the question is asked how should one
then expect little Filipino children to
be % precocious az to leave off their
TaEalog or visayan at once for the
more difficult English?
Net Trained In Right Lines.
Another much criticized point in
Philippine education IL that the
schools are not being planned along
the right lines. II IL frequently said
that the Filipinos should be trained
to develop the agricultural resources
OF their country while the schools
graduate only clerks and boys who
wish to enter the professional classes
II 10 pointed out here that the
business firms In Manila and the gov.
eminent departments can not secure
good clerks In sufficient numbers, and
that . good clerk can earn five and
ten times ~ much ~ n farm laborer.
A Filipino boy will naturally prefer to
enter business ut pay Of $50 month
rather than work on the farm at 40
centavos or 20 cents gold q day.
Education 10 20 rare In the islands
that II commands q very high prem.
ium. Al long ~ economic conditions
conditions induce the boys to 80 to
the cities, II 10 pointed out. they will
20 there. In the Philippines ~ surely
~ In the United Statcs.
Tho government has school of
high school grade that 10 devoted en-.
tirely TO agriculture. that 10 very ex.
cellent and 10 doing everything In its
power TO Encourage industry and agri.
culture.
Lack Of funds In the towns prevents
tho establishment of schools OF the
American type. Because Of this short.
ase tho teachers hired by the towns
seldom receive more than $50 a
month. but the standard Of living ID
low and food supplies are reasonable,
70 that the state Of affairs 10 not 90
bad ~ might he thought
Compare With West Pelnt Cadets.
Il 10 an enormous task to Introduce
= foreign language to 4 whole people
and the difficulty can be grasped only
II one considers how difficult It would
DO to conduct public schools in Amer
1ca. never allowing the pupils to speak
anything but German In the class
room.
Notwithstanding the language diff
ficulty II 10 \ fact that q graduate OF
Philippine school would do very ia.
vorable work In comparison with an
American high school graduate. There
10 ut present . cadet at West Point
appointed from the Philippines whose
work 10 above the average Of his class
at West Point In some Of his subjects
and who will probably graduate ahead
Of two-thirds OF his classmates,- who
have had the advantage Of him in al
most every way.
II the government had more money
to spend on education the schola
might make faster progress In intro
ducing literacy 10 an illiterate people
but Il 10 believed In view Of the very
snail sum. S3.O00.OOO. they may fair
4 challenge any government to pro.
- - good an example Of efficient
Id excellent work ~ that done In the
educational department Of the Phil
ippines during the last nine years.
Ne Differences.
q Jack-My darling. want to tell you
oeunething. have deceived you. l
am not rich. but utterly pcnniless.
viii II make any difference to you?
Ethel-Not the slightest. Jack.
~ an % glad. dearest. Are you
cutie sure IL viii make NO difference
20 your"
''Quits sure. I can marry old Mr..
NonsybagA"-Londoa Standard.