The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-07-18


G| 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 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 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 prompt to see the
advantages of the newer way.
The domestic science of the Filipino was not
science at all; it 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 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 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 the cfvili
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 over which swung a sin
gle pot tripod. Gone is the ancient habit of
an entire family. including the pups and the rest
of the fourfooted animals, eating from a 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
~ rapid and marked to compel the attention of
the American educators who had gone across
70 aO6 fhnSo riTnjffr fOIlx
They had gone with 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 and made of him a separate edu-
cational problem
The Filipino was not especially interested in
whether not he received mental training but
he was 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 sothfulness he was willing and
anxious to work for these things which sud-
| denly he had come to desire-these tangible and
outward signs of higher civilization.
| So it that domestic science and vocational
training became integral part OF the educa-
| tional system of the Philippines. half-mf1lfon
| Filipino young people 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 would be If ever We
did get what 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
nually from all the islands of the group, in ever
increasing numbers, young Filipinos instruct
| ed in domestic science and economy. Besides,
these young women taught the 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 a basic education in the three
| RS, three full years study being devoted to
reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar. In
! the homemaker's they study hygiene
home sanitation, physiology. cooking and the
| care of infants
short course in nursing is given and full