Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-07-17

~N AGREEMENT with the somewhat,
wellknown Mr.. Meredith, Uncle SAM
believes that Civilized man cannot
live without cooks, and is putting that
kAE~INN belief into demonstration In handling
XaHN the educational problems Of the Phil
~9mN> ippines.
~ The Filipino, to be sure had civil
ization and cooks prior to the Amer
lean occupation, but the civilization was not of
high standard. And after several years of close
study of the needs and possibilities of our rest
less little brown foster brothers of the far east
ern islands domestic science has been deemed
the surest foundation upon which to build
To begin with, the home and it's women has
been accepted by educators as the best process
OF ENGRAVING occidental civilization, education
and culture on the stunted, half-wild growth
which centuries Of Spanish rule left behind. It
was the Filipino himself who pointed out the
way for the solving of his own personal equation.
Primitive as his home life had been he had been
living up to the best he knew. When something
better was before him he was prompt to see the
advantages of the newer way
The domestic science of the Filipino was not
science at all; it was only a crude makeshift
handed down to him from his ancestors. His
home was little better than shack, very small
destitute Of furnishings His diet was SO
fstricted that the idea OF such thing as the
art of cookery had never occurred to him.
His clothing was little-or nothing
With the coming of the American and his
higher standard of civilization the Filipino, espe-
cially he of the younger generation saw life
from new angle. He came to the realization
that there is in life than the mere bust
ness Of living. He found that there is work to
do; that he must do his share toward raising
the standards of succeeding generations; that he
had his allotted task in the bringing of the civil
cation of his country to higher level.
The first evidence of this awakening in the
Filipino the change in his method of life.
Gone are the open fires which swung sin
gle pot tripod. Gone is the ancient habit of
an entire family, including the pups and the rest
of the four-footed animals, eating from common
dish Gone also the primitive sleeping ar
rangements.
To be sure the change was by evolution rather
than by revolution, but its progress was sufficient
ly rapid and marked to compel the attention of
the American educators who had gone across
seas to teach these primitive folk things.
They had gone with a notion that the Filipino
could be taught the things and by the same
methods that form the educational system in
California and New York Texas and the Dakotas.
They found, however, that physical environ
ment and previous social experience had bred in
the Filipino racial characteristics vastly different
from own and made of him separate edu-
cational problem.
The Filipino was not especially interested in
whether not he received mental training, but
he ambitious cleverly initiative and keenly
alert to the greater creature comforts of civili
cation which he glimpsed for the first time when
the American came and conquered And for all
his reputation for slothfulness he willing and
anxious to work for these things which so sud-
denly he had come to desire-these tangible and
outward signs OF a higher civilization
So it that domestic science and vocational
training became integral part of the educa-
tional system of the Philippines. A half-million
Fipino young people are voluntarily in school
there is compulsory education in the islands
Primary English education is open to all and is
incidental to the domestic science and vocational
courses.
The Filipino knew what he wanted and he got
it. and he is quite happy the more sophis
ticated souls imagine we would be if ever we
did get what we want
One of the most potent factors in making the
Filipino, not into an imitation good American
but into a good patriotic and useful citizen or
his own native archipelago, has been the School
of Household Industries in Manila. Here an
nually from all the islands of the group In ever
increasing numbers, young Fflipinos are instruct
ed in domestic science and economy Besides,
these young taught the more impor-
tant If less remunerative vocation of successful
housewife and mother
The course in housekeeping and household
arts, one of the most important and most widely
the young basic education In the three
reading. writing. arithmetic and grammar In
home sanitation, physiology. cooking and the
of infants
short course in nursing is given, and . full
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