Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-07-17

Will somewhat
wellknown Mr. Meredith. Uncle Sam
believes that civilized cannot
live without cooks and is putting that
AE~hN belief into demonstration in handling
4@gy the educational problems of the Phil
SIT 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 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 its women has
been accepted by educators as the best process
of engrafting occidental civilization. education
and culture the stunted. half-wild growth
which centuries of Spanish rule left behind. II
the Filipino himself who pointed out the
way for the solving of his own personal equation.
Primitive his home life had been he had been
living up to the best he knew. When something
better before him he was prompt to the
advantages of the newer way.
The domestic science of the Filipino was not
science at all; 1t only crude makeshift,
handed down to him from his ancestors. His
home was little better than shack very small
and destitute of furnishings His diet was so
restricted that the idea of such thing as the
art of cookery had never occurred to him.
His clothing lttle-or nothing.
With the coming of the American and his
higher standard of civilization the Filipino. espe-
cialy he of the younger generation. life
from angle. He came to the realization
that there is more 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 civili-
zation of his country to higher level.
The first evidence of this awakening In the
Filipino the change in his method of life.
Gone the open fires over which swung sin
gle pot on a tripod. Gone is the ancient habit OF
entire family. including the pups and the rest
OF the fourfooted animals, eating from common
dish. Gone also the primitive sleeping
rangements.
To be sure the change was by evolution rather
than by revolution, but its progress sufficient
ly rapid and marked to compel the attention of
the American educators who had gone across
teach these primitive folk new things.
They had gone with a notion that the Filipino
could be taught the same 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 our 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, ceverly initiative and keenIy
alert to the greater creature comforts of civili-
Zation which he glimpsed for the first time when
the American came and conquered. And for all
his reputation for sothfulness he was willing and
anxious to work for these things which so sud
denly he had come to desire-these tangible and
outward signs of higher civilization.
So il that domestic science and vocational
training became integral part OF the educa-
tional system of the Philippines. half.miion
Filipino young people voluntarily in school
there is no 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-
tcated souls imagine would be If ever we
did get what want.
One of the most potent factors in making the
Filipino, not into imitation good American,
but into good, patriotic and useful citizen of
his own native archipelago. has been the School
of Household Industries in Manila. Here an
uually from all the islands OF the group in ever
increasing numbers, young Fflipinos instruct
ed in domestic science and economy. Besides,
these young women 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
studied OF the several offered by the school, gives
the young women basic education in the three
RS, three full years study being devoted to
reading. writing. arithmetic and grammar. In
the homemaker's course they study hygiene
home sanitation, physiology. cooking and the
OF infants.
short course in nursing is given, and a full