Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-08-06

n AGREEMENT with the somewhat
well-known Mr. Meredith Uncle Sam!
believes that civilized man cannot
live without cooks" and is putting that
MA~NM belief into demonstration In handling
YgE1%N the educational problems OF the Phil
n f'3 Pine Filipino. to b. sure. had civil
izaton and cooks prior to the Amer
lean occupation, but the civilization 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 the best process
of ENGRAVING occidental civilization, education
and culture the stunted, half-wild growth
which centuries Of Spanish rule left behind. 1t
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 1t was 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 a 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-
cially he of the younger generation saw life
from new 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 clvi
cation of his country to a higher level
The first evidence of this awakening in the
Filipino the change in his method Of life
Gone are the open fires over which swung sin
gle pot on tripod. Gone Is the ancient habit OF
entire family, including the pups and the rest
of the fourfooted animals, eating from a common
dish. Gone also are the primitive sleeping
rangements
To be the change by evolution rather
than by revolution, but its progress sufficient
1y rapid and marked to compel the attention of
the American educators who had gone across
seas to teach these primitive folk new things.
They had gone with 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 a 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 civiH-
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 higher civilization
So 1t was that domestic science and vocational
training became an integral part of the educa-
tional system of the Philippines. half-million
Filipino young people are 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 as happy as the more sophis
ticated souls imagine would be II 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 of
his own native archipelago, has been the School
OF Household Industries in Manila. Here an
Increasing numbers, young Filipinos are instruct
ed In domestic science and economy. Besides,
these young women are 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
care of infants
short course b nursing is given, and full