Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-07-03
BACA TELLS WHY
So FEW NATIVES
FINISH SCHOOL
Assistant Superintendent Of
Public Instruction Believes
SpaniSh-American Children
Should Be Taughtin Spanish,

Of education. OF these 339 were girls
and ga boys, emphasizing the Ia
mentable fact that parents take Their
bows out Of school too soon. These
figures apply to the rural ana small
town schools.
Roosevelt county leads with ~
graduates OF whom 40 are girls
onav Is second with 81 graduates. of
whom 81 are girls. The third is also
"A dry farming county, Curry, with 30
graduates of whom - are girls.
rourth are Chaves and Union with
Al graduates each Of whom ~ are
Girls in each county. 1t is rather re-
markablc that these five leaders are
All on the eastern boundry of the
state.
Next in order come: Mckinley 81,
Of whom 16 are girls san Juan, ~,
Of whom ~ are girls ColiaX, rs, ol
whom 1G are girls: Grant, 20, win
20 girls Torrance, 26, with ~ girls,
Socorro. 23. with 10 girls Eddy, 20,
with fl girls; pona Ana, Is, with I
nirls: Mora. rs, with 6 girls: Otero'
is. with y girls, Lincoln, l6, win
10 airls.1.una. Ia, with girls. Quad
alupo/12. with girls; Valencia, :,
win girls: Rio Arriba, !. with
.oirls, Taos G, with 4 girls. Sandoval,
& all girls: Bernalillo, 4, with .
girls. and Santa Fe. ,, of whom is a
The honor roll of those receiving
the highest grade in each county VIII
soon he published by the department.
Few Spanish-Amcricans.
Assistant superintendent Filadelio
Baca, who left today for Mora To al
dress the teachers institute ana
thence goes to the Sandoval and 9TH
or Institutes. in an open letter to Dr.
Frank II. II. Roberts Of the Normal
university. gives the reasons for such
an infinitely small number of spanish
American pupils reaching the eighth
gade. lie says.
"Referring to your letter Of the
Sth instant and simplifying my answer
relative to the teaching of Spanish
am glad to note that your board OF
regents. through your efforts, nave
apprcveI your plan to have Spanish
in th4 grades next year, beginning
with the seventh grade, teaching the
child to read the Spanish language
regardless OF race. As you are sui
stndving the. question as To when is
the best time to begin the work ana
ms YOU indicate that you viii be glad
FOR my help in this matter, ] am
ploased to advise you that YOU may
dcpend on my humble, but earnest
Efforts and cooperation in every
movement that tends to the better
mont If our educational interests.
straneIed in Legislature.
"The last session Of the legislature
had under consideration bill pro-
vidine for the teaching Of the Span
ish language which, | presume, was
introduced 20 better comply with the
requirements of the constitution? IN
ttfft /,
XII. which in part reads: The legis-
lature shall provide for the training
of teachers in the normal schools or
otherwise SO that they may become
inefficient i'm both the English ana
Spanish languages. to qualify them TO
teach Spanish speaking pupils ana
students in the public schools ana
educational institutions of the state.
The bill was introduced in the house
but the iniroducer stl~nuously OBJ
iected to amend the bill by striking
out the word reading in the clause
teach Spanish reading, and cannot
up to the present time, understand
the logical reason for such an OBJ
lection. The bill went to the senate
ana there il passed as amended ny
the committee on education. and the
amendments in turn We're toncurred
in by the house and duly signed by
the speaker and sent to the senate
for the signature Of the president but
ere this was attached upon the mo-
ton of the introduccr the bill was
recalled and thus it died-a natural
death by strangulation. So much for
this legislative incident.
There Is Reason.
"You ask for my candid opinion
as to Mr.. A. d. Smiths letter which
=. E..t
usal. Mr.. smith after having read the
clipping from the Albuquerque Morn
ing journal, wherein is stated that
one source Of great regret IS that
among The hundred who have passed
che eighth grade eyams), there are
hut few Spanish Americans, COM
ments that IT is not the fault of these
children, they are as bright as the
English spcakng children. II is the
method % instruction. In attendance
and punctuality they will average
with knglish-speaking children. The
fault is there have been no suitable
text books in the schools by which
it was possible for these children to
learn ANYTHING, no matter how bright
they might be
Drawback and Handicap.
Il agree very strongly with each
and every one OF the reasons set
forth in Mr.. Smiths lengthy letter
and in doing So ! am convinced, AZ
ter a conscientious and thorough in
Nestigation and examination in the
school room which is the only place
for observation, that the principal
drawback which handicaps the Span
ish-Ameiican children is the fact that
they do not understand anything OF
the work they are expected TO do,
and If they learn their lesson tread-
ing), it is only after repeated recta-
lions that they are able to commit II
to memory (what they do not under
stand). by means of the same me-
chanical process, so to speak, by
which the parrot learns to talk any
language This Is the real reason why
the Spanish American children can
nor make any progress in their stu
dies and why, unfortunately. so very
few pass the eighth grade. The pre-
tended reason that the Spanish
American in the rural schools do moi
pass the eighth grade because they
leave school too soon is not substan-
tiated BY facts while on the other
hand the very few Spanish-Americans
who do pass the eighth grade and
Immediately, alse, successfully pass
the examinations for third grade
teachers certificates are the pupils
who attend those schools where they
are afforded that instruction which
permits them to know the meaning