Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-19
HAWAII PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM
IS MODEREIzED
Inspector Raymond, Visiting in
East, Gives Interview to the
Christian Science Monitor

=
HawaIrs public school system Is
now thoroughly modernized and
Americanized and In some respects
developed further than the rnra
school systems in many Of the states
In the opinion of Inspector-Ge Genera
George s. Raymond OF the Hawaiian
department Of public instruction, who
has been visiting his parents in Cam
bridge. Mass, on leave OF absence.
Although we have many pecu,ia-
problems to deal with in the deyeior
ment Of the Hawaiian school system
due to racial and other conditions. irr
proyements have been rapid and thu
schools have shown remarkable
growth" said Mr.. RAYMOND to the
Christian Science Monitor of Boston
The enrolment last year was more
than $4,000, showing growth OF 90
per cent during the past 10 wears.
The Hawaiian school system can
not Of course be compared with the
city schools in . the states. but an
comparison made must rather be With
rural schools. Our schools have beer
modernized In every wav. The cTrric
ulum is of high standard and is under
going constant Improvement ADAPTED
If course to the conditions with which
we must deal. Our teachers are most
w graduates in good stapdine frpr.
the best normal schools of California
and Washington, although we are us
ing many graduates of orr owr
schools as assistants. The Hawaiian
schools are better eauipned than rnost
rural schools In the statos, End II
some OF our snecial departments ttt
development Is not surpassed any
where
ur-to-dste Standard.
@The fundamental branches in the
Hawaiian curriculrmf are now deVe'
aped tc a thoroughly ufrto-dste stand
ard, with Of course sneelal branches
n ENGLISH. One o. the first thingg
we must teach the children when thef
come to school is e4tshnal cleanliness
Then they must be taught to kee2
their homes. and their. surroundings il
Clearly cordf.on.
@As In the Phtiinn'nesr. we ne. slse
have course in the lever grades or
good manners and right ron duct, F.
instance, one OF The first thines We
must teach Is courtesy. in greet'n~
aarerts or oder persons. IN pneeti2e
a lady. in passing In front of a per
son, and inNthe other actions of every
lay life Picture study dialogue arr
nantomime, mayifns and stories. ans
other. means are employed ~ fcrr-
sab.ts of = good ( Ilanners In this
course. ansattempt Is also made to in,
press uI,on the punils code OF ethics
Tuited to their years:
.'In, more advanced work. the Ha
waiian schools have had many inter.
esting developments, particularly in
the Industrial school and the yoca-
tional training courses. One of the
interesting features of the industrial
school is its agricultural work Every
year a. crop of sugar cane Is raised
he boys being taught irrigation, prop
er cultivation, and In one small trac.
intensive cultivation. The crop Is sold
to plantation, for we do not own 2
sugar mill. The revenue from the
sugar crop was last year more thar
$1,000. A complete dairy is also main:
tanned. The school is conducted en-
partially self-supporting basis, and the
cost last year per boy was approx.
mately $170.
I'm the vocational course at one of
the schools they raise poultry, and
are doing it with great success. 1.
have never seen better poultry than
is raised at that school.
Equipment Exceptional.
The equipment Of the school Is ex-
ceptional. We have a, large appropriar
ton for reference and library books
and there Is a library In each school
much better than is found in the rural
schools of the states. The pupils are
required to buy their own text books,
among other reasons because it is
desired that. the children should ac-
quire in their homes as many English
books as possible. We are planning
an interesting experiment in text
books, by having such books as prim-s
ers and readers printed In our indus
trial school by the boys. The depart
ment is now compiling the matter for
the first books to be supplied to the
sible that much of the printing of the
department of public instruction will
be done at the Lahainaluna school.
Some of the work In the schools
surpasses that to be found anywhere.
Penmanship, for instance. The Ha-
waiians and the Japanese are excep-
tionally good penmen. They are by
nature neat and accurate, and have
never seen in the states better sam
pies of penmanship than We have in
Hawaii.
There is little difficulty in obtain
ing competent teachers. We are grad
uating from our normal school in Ho-
nolulu number Of our own pupils.