The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-10-23
SCHOOL SYSTEM
IN PHILIPPINES
Is of Great Benefit as Described
by Or. Monroe Who Has
Returned from Islands.
tBr AssoerArEp paEss,

MOHONES LAX, N. Y, Oct. 90
The benefcient work of the Philip
pine school system and what it is
doing for Philippine freedom was
described at the Lake Mohonk Con-
ference of Friends of the Indians
and other Dependent Peoples today
by DR.. Paul s. Monroe, professor OF
history of education in the New
York Teachers College. DR.. Monroe
has just returned from a year in the
Orient, much of which was spent in
the Philippines. He said, in part:
In this work are engaged 500
American teachers, 1000 Filipino
teachers, instructing about 400, 900
Filipino children. This is aDoul
fifty per cent of the children of
school age. 1t Is estimated that
there are about 100000 natives VINO
can understand and use simple
English. This in itself Is no small
element in the new freedom, for II
gives them not only that greater
breadth of view and OF action which
comes to anyone for the acquisition
of a language besides the native
one, but 1t gives him some command
of a literature and of culture which
| is but slightly developed in his ma
tive tongue. This use of English
gives him command of the COM
mercial medium of communication
of the Orient, free contact with
those in charge OF the government,
but also a medium OF communication
among themselves, for the twenty
seven dialects or languages into
which the people are divided gives
no common bond, and few estimates
give over two per cent Of the peo-
| pie as using Spanish" e
The speaker outlined the various
services being performed by the pub
lie school system among them the
breaking down of class distinction
SO that now the child of the Filipino
laristocrat mingles with the common
crowd in school work and play. The
development of manual training
along the lines of lace and en-
broidery making, basket making,
cabinet making, iron work, building,
etcr--now all taught in certain
schools-are tending to remove the
native prejudice against industry,
bringing added comforts to Filipino
homes, and raising the living stand
ards Of the people. The teaching OF
bookkeeping. surveying, telegraphy,
stenography, ETC., which appeal to
the Filipinos, makes the graduates oil
those courses self-reliant and seif-
supporting, as does instruction in
household industries and even in
arts and trades.
DR.. Monroe pointed out specially
that scientific instruction in agri-
culture not only benefits the Fill
pinos financially through the larger
icrops thus made possible, but bene-
fits the islands as a whole because
under the old system agricultural
methods where practiced at all were
so crude that the land was not BEN
esited. the crops, considering the ma
ture OF the country, were poor ana
the manufactured products inferior
all because of unscientitic meth
DDS. HE places the introduction Of
free athletics high among the lnnu-
ences improving not only the
physique but the minds of the FIJI
ipinos.
in conclusion the speaker sala:
Social freedom, economic freedom,
physical freedom, intellectual free
dom. personal freedom, freedom
from class preiudices. from poverty
and oppression OF the wealthy anu
powerful, freedom from unhealtny
conditions, and stunted physical
growth, freedom from ignorance ana
superstition: the freedom of the
lowest taxed people in any civilized
country. with justice to be obtained
on demand; all these are being given
them
n