THE CUBA REVIEW. 



19 



PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 



Country Schools Needed. 



The provincial government has grant- 

 ed a credit of $200,000 for school uuild- 

 ings in Cuba, and m some districts iiicy 

 are bemg built, but it is evident tuat tm^ 

 sum is not suthcient for the realization 

 of a comnlete plan of construction of 

 school houses, nor are they oeiiig buiit 

 in the places most needed, which are 

 the rural districts, and accommodations 

 should also be provided for the teacher. 

 It is hard to find a suitable building for 

 school purposes in the country, and still 

 harder to find a house for the school- 

 master to live, and when accommodations 

 are sought an excessive rent is demand- 

 ed. The schoolmaster suffers from sim- 

 ilar rental exactions, which reduces his 

 small salary materially. Under these 

 conditions for the good of popular edu- 

 cation, the erection of proper buildings 

 in the country should be given first con- 

 sideration. 



The schoolmaster who lives near the 

 school can better maintain friendly re- 

 lations with the pupils and parents; can 

 visit them, and has many opportunities 

 to demonstrate to them the advantages 

 of instruction and' the benefit the dis- 

 trict receives from the school established 

 in it. 



At present the state pays monthly $10 

 or $12 and more for a hut of wood and 

 palm-leaves in each rural district, and 

 the schoolmaster is left to shift for him- 

 self. 



School Boards Disorganized. 



Boards of education in Cuba are not 

 organized according to law, in many 

 places, a condition aggravated by the dis- 

 putes of political parties which seek 

 control over them, not to improve the 

 school system, but to acquire political 

 predominance in the districts, and in 

 consequence many boards are completely 

 disorganized. 



Batabano, for instance, has no board 

 of education. The last secretary is in 

 charge of the whole district, und'er the 

 direction of the provincial superintendent 

 of schools. This is contrary to law. The 

 town is divided into three political fac- 

 tions, which have not been able to agree 

 on the appointment of the persons who 

 should constitute the board of that dis- 

 trict. And, as always, parents fail to do 

 • their duty resoecting : the education of 

 their children, and public education lan- 

 guishes. 



adults will be established at Lux Cabal- 

 lero, Ean Lazaro and Regia, Havana 

 Province. Reading, writing, language, 

 drawing, geography, arithmetic, physi- 

 ology and hygiene and civic instruction 

 will be taught at these schools. 



The provincial inspectress of English 

 instruction has undertaken to give free 

 English classes tri-weekly for the teach- 

 ers of the district. The number of teach- 

 ers attending the classes is increasing 

 every day. 



Instruction in English. 



Recently some teachers of the English 

 language in the Cuban public schools 

 were appointed, but it appears that no 

 examinations were held to prove their 

 capacity, although it was the intention 

 of the department to hold test examina- 

 tions and to fill positions by rigorous 

 competition. When the notice was pub- 

 lished about holding examinations, some 

 were disinclined to submit to the test, 

 and it is known that many aspirants to 

 positions as English teachers, based their 

 claim on the mere fact that they knew 

 the language; but the important qualifi- 

 cation is not only to know but to know 

 how to teach a language. 



While it might be expedient to let 

 teachers who have been appointed, con- 

 tinue during the present term, regular 

 examinations for all teachers should be 

 insisted upon in the future, and the best 

 talent secured for our chifdren to teach 

 them the language of Byron and Wash- 

 ington. — ^Notes by Dr. Manuel Fernandez 

 A^aldes, editor the Havana Cuba y Amer- 

 ica. 



Night Schools in Havana. 



At the suggestion of the Havana 

 school board, three night schools for 



Examination of Cuban Schools. 



Dr. Lincoln De Zayas, superintendent of 

 public instruction, is preparing a report 

 on Cuba's upublic schools. He has or- 

 dered all provincial school superintendents 

 to examine all schools throughout their 

 districts. 



A New School. — Plans are being pre- 

 pared in Havana for the establishment 

 of a school for the deaf, dumb and blind 

 in Havana. The school will be under 

 the direction of the Rev. Father Antonio 

 Rodriguez Molgosa, chaplain of the Rt. 

 Rev. Bishon of Havana, and will be the 

 first school of this kind to be estab- 

 lished in Cuba. 



The plans for improving the sanitary con- 

 ditions of Havana provide for an expendi- 

 ture of nearly $10,000,000. including the 

 construction of a complete water and sewer 

 system. The work is to be completed in 

 four years. The cost will be defrayed by 

 the city and state. 



