Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-12
EDUCATING THE F1L1P1Nos
"r"wth OF Industrial Training in Field
OF Useful Arts,

Of Useful Arts.
| Under the leadership of Americ, ~
educators. Philippine education is max.
ing remarkable advance. Indeed ac-
cording to recent reports received at tho
United States bureau of education.
there ar" features of present dav cdu.
cation in the Philippines that are wei,
worth the careful attention Of school
leaders In the United States
IT Is in the field of Industrial troipi,y
ana useful arts that the Filipnos. under
American teachers. are making the most
notable progress; such progress. in fact.
that In certain lines particularly lace
making and embroidery. the products of
the Philippine schools not only comma re-
favorabl:' with the work of the famous
French and Swiss experts. hut promise
to compete with them successfully in
the worlds markets
The whole system of education In the
philippines Is based on the principle
that the children should receive training
That Will prepare them directly for the
Ire they are to live. The boys receive
manual training from the very begin
ming. In the lowest grades they make
articles that they can use and sell. both
In their own localities and elsewhere
The most important industry taught the
boys is hat weaving. 1t is a prescribed
exercise in the primary schools
THE bureau of education at Nonil,
considers it one of its legitimate func.
tons to give such training in the MALI
ing OF good hats as will afford Il large
number of children n permanent means
OF earning livelihood" wrote Frank
H. White, director of Philippine educa-
ton. in 1910. after the courses had been
introduced. and the development of the.
work has more than justified his claim
chief among the products are tho
famous "buntal' hats, made from the
leaf stem OF the opened burr leaf
The schools do not attempt to replace
hand machinery with modern annaratus
Tor IT is recognized that there is n roal
demand for the products of careful hand
Hesides the prescribed
courses in the primary schools. there are
regular trade schools. where the bovs
sPeho the greater part of the school dav
III actual manual labor in the shops i
SET or dining-room furniture in red nara.
made at the Philippine school of arts
ana trades in Manila. sold for 500 at last
Years carnival
In the girls schools plain sewing and
housekeeping have generally formed the
prescribed courses. but recently lace
making and embroidery have been in.
reduced because they are arts which.
Iesides possessing educational yalue
urnish the girls with n remunarotivo
occupation There We're already in the
'nlllDDlntS oh
I'd embroidery and lace making in the
'onvents under the Spanish regime
furthermore because of their great
natural aptitude for such work. and he.
'ause of their patience and delicacy of
xecution' the Filipino women are con-
1uered among the most skillful workers
II the world In these arts, their products
'eins Chased by experts as even superior |
o that of the French and the Swiss.
The schools are therefore working on |
ure ground In teaching lace making and |
and they have ascertained |
hat the demand for the kind of work
heir children can turn out Is practically |
In an effort to increase the
valuable supply of teachers for the work
curses In lace making and embroidery
ave been offered in the Philippine nor
nal school since 1910, and also In the var
Gus vacation assemblies of teachers.
The first thing Filipino girl does in
he sewing class in school is to make
or herself complete outfit Of cloth
ng. This work she usually begins In
he second grade, but sometimes in tho
rst or third. Armed with an embroidery
rame and other apparatus lin most
asses made by the boys in the same
chooD. she advances in proficiency
through the various grades hemming
nd emhroidering cotton squares, fine
men, handkerchiefs, waists, and so on
he more expert girls turn out master
ieces In French net and embroidery In
ace they make all varieties of pillow
ace including "torchon' Spanish
lce), maltese. Ceylon or Indian. Irish
rochet etc Battenburg IL also made
or local use. but it Is NOT encouraged
or export, because the Japanese can
lake it more cheaply
An idea of the extent of Industrial
dncation In the Philippines may be
aimed from the fact that nearly 100, OO0
rhool pupils are engaged in some kind
I industrial work. For the past four
ears industrial instruction has been
rescribed in the primary course for
9th boys and girls. and the work is
carried on in an advanced
'age In the intermediate schools.
wenty-six Yell-equipped trade schools
ave been established In Manila and
le various provinces; there is n college
agriculture n Los Banos. and a col
Ge of engineering has been added to
IL tniVo rsity of the Philippincs Tho
filipino take to the educational pro-
ram. industrial and otherwise. quickly
nd profltably; and the civil govern
tent finds It's duties much less onerous
DIV that the military invasion of the ,
lands has been superseded by the edu-
.tional
'pOp0SE A VEpMnNT vxyrrY