Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-28
WORK OF THE SCHOOLS
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Exhibit of the Methods EN-
pIoyed and Lines Followed
in Education.

An exhibition of the work done in the
Philippine Islands schools under the di-
rection of the Bureau Of education of the
islands has been set up temporarily in
the southeast gallery of the old building
of the National Museum, and will be
open to the public for several weeks.
This exhibit was originally prepared for
the Lake Mohonk Conference of Friends
of the Indian and Dependent Peoples,
held at Mohonk Lake, n. V, and is
under the charge of George \. Briggs,
a member of the bureau of education of
Manila. It's main object is to demon
strate the wealth of native material in
the Philippines available for industrial
use, and that the bureau of education is
teaching the natives to use their own
valuable resources.
On Practical Lines
The education is mainly along practical
lines, especial stress being laid on the
native industries and the utilization of
native-grown materials. New industries
are being developed. which will make use
of new and hitherto unemployed native
raw materials. In the schools only the
most practical and salable objects are
made. Although formerly the natives
HIu SeNeTdI arts ana industries OF their
own. they We're not always managed on
4 practical basis; materials were i'm
ported to manufacture articles and tex
tiles which could have been made of local
material and supplies. and which are. in
many cases, far superior to the materials
formerly used. Great credit is due the
Americans for teaching the Fipinos how
to employ home products for the manu-
facture of articles with both u local and
foreign commercial value This applies
not only to textiles made from the fibers
of Philippine plants. but also to baskets,
which are constructed from rattan, bam-
boo pineapple and several other fibers
and barks. There are on exhibition MANY
fine specimens of cloth, embroidery. bas-
kerry, etc, made according to native de-
signs and those suggested by the Amer
lean teachers. Through the medium of
sales agency in Manila a market is
found for the work turned out by the
schools. Vt the last exhibition in 1872 at
Manila. after the finished work was sold
more orders We're received than could
possibly be filled in the coming year.
Courses of instruction.
Among the industries taught i'm the
fhillpplne schools are carpentry. cabinet
making. basketry. straw braiding and
hat making. sandal and slipper making.
weaving. embroidery. etc Household
economy and domestic science are fea-
tured in he schools, and a large School
OF Household Industries has been es-
fabllshed at Manila. The course in house
keeping Is a comprehensive one, ranging
from the primary through the high
school grades. and designed not to revo-
lutioniZe the ideas and methods in FIJI
plho hcmes. but to gradually better
them where opportunity permits
me exhibit in the museum includes
specimens of large number of the tex,
books used. covering the subjects of read
ing writing. arithmetic. English. geog-
raph!, history. zoology. domestic arts.
etc. While these books are patterned
after similar texts in the United States.
they are made suitable for the native
schools by the use of local color, names
of persons and familiar objects.