REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC

INSTRUCTION.

OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,

The PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.

Manila, P. I., November 1, 1902.

GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to submit to you the first annual report of the secretary of public instruction, which, except where otherwise indicated, covers the year ending October 15, 1902, and relates to the organization and activity of the bureaus of education, of architecture and construction of public buildings, of public printing, of archives, of public libraries and museums, of statistics of the census, and of the Official Gazette, embraced in accordance with act No. 222 and the acts establishing them, under the executive control of the department of public instruction.

ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

In organizing the system of public instruction in the Philippines, with an incomplete knowledge of the actual conditions of the country, it was not to be expected that the provisions made in the beginning would be found permanently satisfactory. The administration of the affairs of the bureau of education was originally placed in the hands of a general superintendent, who was assisted by 10 division superintendents. The division superintendents resided in the 10 divisions into which the archipelago was divided. Under the supervision of the general superintendent, each division superintendent exercised immediate control over the schools in his division. As more teachers were employed and the school affairs of more towns required the attention of the division superintendent, it was found that the 10 division superintendents could not properly perform the work expected of them. Then by an amendment enacted July 24, 1901, the number of division superintendents was increased from 10 to 18. Under this organization nearly 1,000 American teachers were appointed and assigned to positions in different parts of the archipelago. In this work of placing the teachers where they were most needed the division superintendents rendered valuable assistance to the general superintendent. They made themselves familiar with the conditions in their several divisions by systematic investigation and personal inspection, and were authorized to select from the teachers already appointed, subject to the approval of the general superintendent, such teachers as seemed to them best fitted to establish and conduct schools in the different parts of their several divisions. In the course of time, however, the work required of the division superintendents became too

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great to be successfully performed by them without assistance. To supply this deficiency the general superintendent in some cases assigned teachers to act as clerks in the offices of the division superintendents, and in order that there might be some person in each province of the division with whom the division superintendent might correspond and who might perform such work of supervision as might be required of him, a law was enacted on September 20, 1901, providing for the appointment of deputy division superintendents. By this law the deputy division superintendent was required to be a teacher actually engaged in instruction. He was authorized to exercise, under certain limitations, the functions of the division superintendent, but his action was subject to confirmation by that officer. The limitations referred particularly to the power to appoint school-teachers for the municipalities and to fix their salaries, which could be done only by the division superintendent himself. The number of deputy division superintendents was to be determined by the general superintendent as they seemed to be needed in the several divisions, but this number in any division might never exceed the number of provinces in that division. It was originally expected that the work required of the deputy division superintendent might be performed without interfering with his regular work as teacher, and in this view it was required by law that he should be a teacher actually engaged in the work of instruction. The extension of the work of the bureau of education soon demanded all the time and energy of the deputies, and under this demand they were temporarily relieved by the general superintendent from their work as teachers and ordered by him to devote themselves exclusively to the business of organizing and supervising the schools in the several provinces in which they resided. This arrangement had two defects. In the first place, it was not in accordance with the requirement of the law of September 20, 1901; in the second place, it was not sufficiently simple to work with the most economic expenditure of force. The deputy division superintendents corresponded with the division superintendents and these in turn with the general superintendent. In order, therefore, to bring the educational affairs of all parts of the archipelago more directly under the head of the general superintendent and to provide for a more efficient management of the school affairs in each province, an important change in matters of school supervision was made by the law enacted October 8, 1902. Among other provisions, this law repealed the act fixing the number of division superintendents at 18, the law establishing the office of deputy division superintendent, and parts of certain other laws in conflict with the provisions of the act itself. It divided the archipelago into 36 school divisions. The several divisions, except in a few cases, were made to coincide with the provinces. In each of these divisions, except those corresponding to the provinces of Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, Nueva Vizcaya, and Paragua, a regularly appointed division superintendent was provided for. In each of the four provinces excepted it was provided that the governor should act, without additional compensation, as division superintendent. This arrangement is justified by the fact that in Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, and Nueva Vizcaya the majority of the inhabitants are Igorrotes, living in a semisavage state, while the province of Paragua embraces, in addition to the northern half of the island of Paragua, a large number of small islands belonging to the Cuyos and

Calamianes groups, and contains a limited and scattered population. Assistance in carrying on the office work of the division is provided for by authorizing the appointment of one clerk for each division superintendent. In addition to the teachers appointed for the municipalities by the division superintendent, whose salaries are paid by the municipalities, the general superintendent is authorized to keep in the service of the insular government a force of 1,000 trained teachers for the primary schools and such other additional trained teachers as may be necessary for the provincial schools of secondary instruction. The salaries of the teachers of primary schools range from the few dollars received by the Filipino teacher in the poorest pueblo to $1,500 per annum. For the salaries of secondary teachers an upper limit of $1,800 per annum has been fixed. The annual salaries of the division superintendents range from $1,500 to $2,500; only three of this number, however, receive the highest salary. The salaries of the division superintendents, of the teachers of the provincial schools, of the American primary teachers, and of the clerks in the offices of the division superintendents are paid with funds appropriated from the insular treasury. The offices of the division superintendents are provided by the several provinces.

While under the new organization the number of division superintendents is increased from 18 to 36, the office of deputy division superintendent is abolished, so that the total cost of the work of superintendence is reduced by about 25 per cent and its efficiency is greatly increased.

In addition to the general superintendent and the division superintendents already provided for, it will probably be found necessary, in view of the exacting duties of the office of general superintendent and the desirability hereafter of his spending considerable time in the several divisions, to appoint an assistant general superintendent to divide with the general superintendent the work of the office and the work of inspection in the field. In making this appointment it will be well to promote to this office, when created, a division superintendent who has become familiar with the affairs of his division and who has shown in his work knowledge, adaptability, and good judgment. On September 25, 1902, Dr. F. W. Atkinson, general superintendent of education, presented his resignation to the civil governor, to take effect December 31, 1902. The suggestion here made with respect to an assistant general superintendent may very well be carried out when Dr. Atkinson's successor assumes the duties of his office.

THE AMERICAN TEACHERS.

The American teachers have been appointed or selected in general in two ways-either directly by the general superintendent or by persons or institutions in the United States authorized to select a definite number. It is not to be expected that some mistakes would not be made in appointing so large a number of persons in a very limited period, but, considering the whole number of teachers, the quality has been eminently satisfactory. These teachers were not, however, all brought from America, but a number were appointed who were already in the Philippines. Among these latter were included discharged volunteer and regular soldiers, and wives and relatives of officers and civilians. At the outset those who were sent into the

more remote towns suffered certain hardships, not the least of which was their isolation. Their food was often such as they were unaccustomed to, and the change from the conditions which they had left was often such as to cause homesickness and a certain measure of dissatisfaction with their lot. The long intervals which sometimes occurred between the coming of the mails, and the consequent difficulties of hearing from friends and receiving their pay promptly, tended to develop in many cases a considerable measure of discontent, and when the pay arrived it was, by reason of the depreciation of the local currency, found to be worth less than at the time when they should have received it. In addition to these causes they were also sometimes affected by the difficulties which they encountered in sending money to the United States. But as the monetary difficulties disappeared, as they became adjusted to their new surroundings, as the civil supply stores made available a better quality of food, and as they became more intimately acquainted with the people, they turned to their work with new zeal, and appear, in many cases, to have found in it a high degree of satisfaction. It might be added that the increases in a large number of their salaries during the year tended to impress upon them the thought that their services were, after all, appreciated. The strong desire on the part of the more intelligent Filipinos to have their children educated, and the aptitude of the children to learn have generally made the way of the American teacher easy, and given him or her a high place in the regard of those among whom they worked. This friendly attitude of the people toward the teachers has been met by the heroic efforts of many of the teachers in behalf of the Filipinos afflicted with cholera. When the scourge appeared and the schools were closed, in almost every instance the teacher stood at his post and did whatever was possible for him to do to relieve the sufferings of the people and impede the progress of the disease, and four of them became its victims.

The number of American teachers connected with the bureau of education between January, 1901, and September, 1902, was 1,074, but the highest number on the rolls at any one time was 926. Between May, 1902, and September of the same year this number was diminished so that on the 1st of September, 1902, there were 845 American teachers in active service. This number included the division superintendents and deputy division superintendents. The total number separated from the service during the period in question, from the beginning of 1901 to the 1st of September, 1902, was 229; 15 of these by death, 2 on account of the death of other persons, 61 by reason of sickness either of the teacher himself or some member of his family, 69 wives of soldiers and other transient residents who had been appointed in the islands, 10 women married, 24 men appointed to civil positions, 3 commissioned as military officers, 8 dismissed or discharged, 7 deserted, and 30 resigned-some of these last for the good of the service, others on account of dissatisfaction with monetary and other conditions, and a few to engage in business or other affairs.

In addition to the American teachers there have been employed in the period in question a large number of Filipino teachers. In view of the fact that some of these teachers were appointed by the municipal authorities before the organization of the public-school system and some since its organization in violation of the provision placing the appointment in the hands of the division superintendent, it has been

impossible to keep in the general office an accurate statement of the whole number of Filipino teachers in the service at any given time.

In the day schools of Manila in July, 1901, the number in attendance was 5,123. On account of the cholera the number in August, 1902, was 3,044. In the report of last year it was said that at the time there were probably over 150,000 Filipino pupils enrolled in the free primary schools and over 75,000 in actual attendance. It was stated that there were probably 3,000 to 4,000 elementary Filipino teachers, 1,800 to 2,000 of whom were receiving one hour of English instruction daily; that there were at least 10,000 adults receiving instruction in English in the evening schools, and that there would shortly be from 20,000 to 30,000 attending these schools. During the present year there are more than 200,000 Filipino pupils enrolled in the primary schools, about 65 per cent of whom are in actual attendance. The number of Filipino teachers appointed by the division superintendents is 2,625 and the total estimated number 3,400. There is a combined teaching force of Americans and Filipinos of 4,227. The night school enrollment for the past year has been about 25,000, and the estimated actual attendance is about 70 per cent of this number. Between 15,000 and 20,000 pupils are already enrolled in the provincial schools of secondary instruction.

A majority of the American teachers now engaged in the Philippines arrived at nearly the same time, and their several terms of service will expire during the coming year. In view of this fact it is imperatively necessary that prompt action should be taken either to place the whole body of teachers who have rendered satisfactory service during their residence in the islands in the classified civil service, or by some other means to assure them of the determination of the government to retain them in their positions. In the beginning a large number of teachers were required on short notice, and it would probably have been impossible to have secured them within the proper time by the means employed under the civil-service law. It was inevitable under the system that there would be complaints about unjust discrimination. The person whose qualifications are inadequate for a given position is not always the person who first recognizes this inadequacy, and when he is left out he sees no reason for being passed over, except a determination on the part of the authorities unjustly to discriminate against him. In making appointments, however, by the method adopted of giving authority to various institutions and a few officers of the educational system of the United States, each to select a limited number, the authority to appoint was very widely distributed, it being understood, of course, that the general superintendent of education retained. also large authority to select and appoint. No discrimination beyond a discrimination on the basis of proper qualifications is known to the government, except that in certain instances special efforts were made. to secure teachers of the same religious faith as the bulk of the inhabitants of the islands, but in spite of these efforts the person having the power of appointment found it impossible to secure as large a number of qualified persons of this class as they were willing to appoint.

THE FILIPINO TEACHERS.

While the American teachers have already rendered very important services in beginning the work of public instruction in accordance