Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-29

dustrlal exhibits; through the appoint
ment OF pensionados to receive train
ing along such lines; and by means
of the special courses offered in the
Philippine Normal school and the
Philippine School Of Arts and Trades. |
Such satisfactory progress is to be
reported as to convince the director
that the methods employed are sub
stantially correct. On entering the
school, the pupil must Immediately
take up as a part Of each days work |
certain manual exercise in the nature |
Of play work at first but which grad |
ually lead up to the regular Industrial |
courses provided in the advanced pri- |
mary and in the intermediate grades. |
Special courses in farming, housekeep- |
ing and household arts, trade work |
and business are offered for those
pupils who desire to do more indus |
trial work than that prescribed in the |
general intermediate course. These
special industrial courses are replac-
ing the general course In many in
termediate schools. Already IL schools
are giving the farming course, "a are
giving the housekeeping course, IS
are giving the trade course, ~ the
teaching course, and one the business
course, as compared with a total of
1879 conducting the general course.
1t Is at once evident, with require
ments SO definitely fixed for industrial
work in the schools, the great major
ity OF the pupils who are enrolled
must be engaged in some branch Of
this work. An examination Of the
figures included among the statistical
tables of this report will show that
of the total enrolment of 233,740
boys and 1882 girls during the
month of February, 1912, Gan aver
age month";, 216,290 boys and 125,203
| girls-91 per cent Of the entire month
ly enrollment-wered doing some form
of Industrial work. More specifically,
it will be found that 1870 boys were
taking manual training and trade
work, 96,167 boys were engaged in
school gardening and farming; 15,4S5
! girls were also engaged in garden
work, and 165,450 boys and 68,194
girls were taking up various lines
which go under the general caption
Of minor industries. 1t will be noted
that 1882 girls were pursuing the
subject of housekeeping and house
hold arts. Further in that connec-
ton 1t will be found that in the sub
ject of lace making alone 16,439 girls
were receiving instruction; in en-
broidery 1889 and in cooking 4,76S.
There were 22,965 boys and 7,709 girls
making hats in the industrial classes,
40,264 pupils making mats, and 104,-
424 studying the art of basketry.
From another point of view, 63,067
pupils engaged in school gardening
cultivated 3,046 school gardens and
24,6S2 home gardens during the
year; 1919 pupils were enrolled in
the regular trade school classes; l.
263 in regular trade courses in other
schools; and 1850 in the shops operat-
ed in connection with provincial and
other intermediate schools. In addi-
ton to the above, 1886 pupils were
taking work in 236 primary wood
working shops conducted in connec-
ton with municipal primary schools
in all parts of the islands.
The foregoing is a statement of
facts. The time for discussion of ex-
periments being made and for argu-
ment as to the correctness of policies
being followed is past. The figures
offered must stand for what they are
worth. However, there is one criter-
ion by which the success of system
can be judged and which cannot find
an adequate space here; i. e., the place
which the industrial instruction of
the public schools has in the esttma-
ton of the people. The carnival ex-
hibits of the past few years have been
succession of surprises. The exhibit
of February, 1912, was successful to
such an extent as to guarantee the ap-
prevail of the public, official and non-otf1-
cial, both American and Filipino. This
exhibit awakened unusual interest on
the part of Manila merchants, particu'
larly German and English houses, IN
the possibilities for extension of GER
tain lines of school industrial work
AS plans along these lines develop,
the problems to be solved assume
more definite and tangible form. A
year ago officials, and the public
alike looked largely to the probable
industrial product of the schools as
the ultimate result of the work. That
is not the end to be attained; the
scope of the work is much broader. In
Industrial education, as in every otheI
subject, the school must serve as
medium OF instruction only, and the
great problem of the coming year will
be to extend to the homes Of the PEG
pie the industries now taught in the
schools. Plans for the accomplish
ment of this end are already undel
way.
In lines with this problem, and
closely related TO II, are several 9th
ers, viz:-acquainting the PRODUCER
with the most profitable markets, anC
prices their handiwork should com
n,and; keeping those who engage IL
such work in touch with demands o.
the markets as TO style, quality, etc.
and the securing of a uniform AND
standard production from all parts o.
| the islands The bureau is now in