Educating the Filipinos 



49 



employ the services of about 3,000 Fil- 

 ipino teachers. Instruction is given 

 wholly in English. The only books 

 used are English text, and the teaching 

 approximates American methods. The 

 subjects taught are English language, 

 primary arithmetic, and primary geog- 

 raphy, with supplementary reading in 

 Philippine and American history and in 

 elementary human physiology. About 

 150,000 children are today receiving 

 instruction in these schools. School- 

 houses are crowded to the very limits of 

 health and efficiency, and the Filipino 

 teachers are teaching an average of 40 

 pupils. 



The probable school population is a 

 million and a half in the christianized 

 provinces. 



To properly cover the field we need 

 a force of about 10,000 Filipino primary 

 teachers and at least four times the 

 amount of school-room space that we at 

 present possess. This would make pos- 

 sible the primary instruction of 600,000 

 Filipino children, and would give to 

 every child in the Christian population 

 of the islands the advantage of four 

 years of primary instruction, to be se- 

 cured between the ages of 6 and 14. 



High schools have been organized in 

 every school division. 



The system of public instruction in- 

 troduced into the islands is thus emi- 

 nently practical. The purpose of those 

 who are directing the course of studies 

 is to exalt the dignity of labor. Effort 

 is made to train the eye and the hand 

 as well as the head. In the provincial 

 secondary schools two years' courses in 

 mechanical drawing, wood working, and 

 iron working are prescribed for students 

 in arts and crafts, and give the stu- 

 dents a fair knowledge of mechanical 

 drawing, blacksmithing, and tool mak- 

 ing. A more advanced course includes 

 architecture, cabinet making, carriage 

 building, wood turning, and pattern 



making. There are also courses for 

 machinists and steam engineering. 



Tools and equipment have been se- 

 cured for eight different schools with 

 wood- making machinery and for three 

 schools in iron-working outfits. Par- 

 ticular attention is given to the care of 

 instruments and tools. 



Particular attention has been given 

 to normal school work in order to train 

 up a class of native teachers for the 

 public schools of the islands, and this 

 course has been pursued with eagerness 

 by hundreds of natives, but at present 

 there is no institution in the Philippines 

 in which instruction is given in English 

 of a sufficiently advanced character to 

 fit students to enter American colleges. 

 It is therefore proposed to offer in the 

 normal school preparatory courses of 

 an advanced nature adequate for the 

 attainment of this purpose. 



Another school that will have a pro- 

 found influence in the development of 

 the islands is the Nautical school. The 

 coast line of the islands is greater than 

 that of the United States, and as there 

 is at present almost a total lack of rail- 

 ways, and the highways being in poor 

 condition for the most part, the waters 

 of the archipelago must continue to be 

 used as a means of transportation. 

 There are at present 103 students in the 

 school, and every member of the last 

 three graduating classes are employed 

 (with one exception) at salaries rang- 

 ing from $275 to $60 per month, one 

 being a mate on a Japanese liner. 



The course of study pursued covers 

 a period of four years and includes 

 English, mathematics, navigation, sea- 

 manship, geography, chemistry, and 

 history. The students are from 22 dif- 

 ferent provinces, and, owing to their 

 training, their Malay blood, and ac- 

 quaintance with the water from child- 

 hood, make excellent seamen and are 

 proud of their profession. 



