PUBLIC INSTRUCTION (2)

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Public instruction is sufficiently far advanced in Filipinas, especially in what refers to primary instruction.

It is strange to see that in the most remote villages, the majority of the Indians know how to read and even to write, having learned without teachers, and solely through the strength of their inclination and extraordinary patience.

The public schools are better organized today, and have in charge of them teachers who have graduated from the normal school of Manila. It cannot fail to be worthy of striking the attention that almost all the boys and girls who attend the schools read Spanish without understanding it, and write our language by drawing the letters materially.

Secondary education is studied in the college of San Juan de LetrÁn, created into an institute in 1820, in that of Santo TomÁs, in charge of the Dominican fathers; in the Ateneo Municipal, under the direction of the Jesuits; in the college of San JosÉ, directed by the secular clergy; and in various private schools.

Superior branches are studied in the royal and pontifical university of Santo TomÁs, of Manila, founded at the beginning of the seventeenth century. It was erected under the name of College of Santo TomÁs de Nuestra SeÑora de Rosario of Manila, August 15, 1619. Felipe IV approved it by a decree of November 27, 1623. Pope Innocent X conceded to this college on November 20, 1645, the title of university, and Clement XII extended its studies to civil and canonical law, and the other subjects that are studied in universities.

It is pontifical, for the degrees which are conferred in it have canonical effect and supply ecclesiastics for determined charges, according to the bulls of Innocent X and Clement XII.

It is in charge of the illustrious Dominican fathers, its founders, who fill the greater number of its chairs.

With reference to the reform introduced by royal order of October 29, 1875, the studies necessary for the professions or jurisprudence and of the Church, and of medicine, pharmacy, and notary, are given in this institution.

Manila has a seminary, called San Carlos, and the same is true of CebÚ and IloÍlo.

The seminary in Camarines Sur is called Nuestra SeÑora del Rosario, and that of Ilocos Sur is entitled Nuestra SeÑora de la ConcepciÓn.

Furthermore, there is a naval academy in Manila, another of drawing and painting, a normal school for men teachers, chairs of bookkeeping, languages, and history, and a meteorological observatory.1

The naval school was established in 1862, at the instance of the consulado of commerce. In it are taught arithmetic, elementary geometry, plane and spherical trigonometry, cosmography, pilotage, practical geometry applied to the construction of hydrographic maps and plans, and methods of drawing them, etc., etc.

The academy of drawing and painting was instituted by the Hoard of Trade, March 1, 1849. Its classes consist of figure drawing, ornamentation, and modeling, both in nature and in colors.

The normal school for the training of men teachers of primary instruction was created by royal decree of December 20, 1863, and was inaugurated January 23, 1865, under the direction of the fathers of the Society of Jesus.

For young women, Manila has the beaterio of Santa Catalina de Sena, instituted in 1696 for the general instruction of girls, and ruled over by a prioress chosen by the mothers; the beaterio-college of Santa Rita, created in 1740, for the education of Indian orphan girls; that of Santa Rosa, founded in 1750, for the purpose of educating poor girls; the college of La Concordia; that of Santa Isabel; and the municipal school for girls, directed by the sisters of charity.

STATISTICS CONCERNING PRIMARY INSTRUCTION

According to the Manual del viajero,2 published in 1877, there are in all Filipinas, at the account of the State, 1,016 schools of primary instruction for boys, and 592 for girls, 98,761 attending the former, and 78,352 the latter, as follows:

Schools Pupils who attend
Boys Girls Boys Girls
In LuzÓn 599 244 44,416 28,805
Adjacent islands 49 28 3,934 1,970
Visayas 302 284 43,281 41,193
Mindanao 66 36 7,070 6,384
1,016 592 98,761 78,351
1,608 177,113

According to data sent to the Statistics Board of Filipinas, and compiled by SeÑor Cavada,3 the condition of public instruction in 1870 was as follows.

PRIMARY INSTRUCTION

Island of LuzÓn

Boys.—Schools, 657; attendance, 118,652; read, 34,119; write, 25,374; talk Castilian, 2,165; ignorant, 56,994.

Girls.—Schools, 439; attendance, 76,773; read, 19,447; write, 7,924; talk Castilian, 1,940; ignorant, 47,462.

Visayas Islands

Boys.—Schools, 325; attendance, 98,687; read, 28,003; write, 23,518; talk Castilian, 3,062; ignorant, 44,104.

Girls.—Schools, 317; attendance, 84,357; read, 25,978; write, 12,817; talk Castilian, 979; can sew, 22,380.

Island of Mindanao

Boys.—Schools, 22; attendance, 4,769; read, 1,547; write, 1,064; talk Castilian, 114; ignorant, 2,044.

Girls.—Schools, 19; attendance, 2,669; read, 763; write, 130; talk Castilian, 58; ignorant, 1,718.

INSTRUCTION

Island of LuzÓn

Males.—Read, 183,394; read and write, 194,628; ignorant, 1,051,823; talk Castilian, 48,206; ignorant of Castilian, 1,381,639.

Females.—Read, 174,516; read and write, 50,082; ignorant, 1,119,994; talk Castilian, 26,844; ignorant of Castilian, 1,314,748.

Visayan Islands

Males.—Read, 109,373; read and write, 125,187; ignorant, 628,960; talk Castilian, 21,466; ignorant of Castilian, 842,054.

Females.—Read, 89,558; read and write, 49,681; ignorant, 731,240; talk Castilian, 9,019; ignorant of Castilian, 861,460.

Island of Mindanao

Males.—Read, 8,169; read and write, 5,733; ignorant, 62,534; talk Castilian, 76,436; ignorant of Castilian, 4,994.

Females.—Read, 6,160; read and write, 1,510; ignorant, 60,721; talk Castilian, 68,391; ignorant of Castilian, 3,934.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

Academic course, 1883–84

Registration of matriculation Studies of application
College of Santo TomÁs, 3,561 274
Idem of San Juan de LetrÁn,
Ateneo Municipal, 665 84
Private schools (general studies), 614

SUPERIOR EDUCATION

Academical course for 1883–84

Registration of matriculation
Theology, 65
Canon law, 3
Jurisprudence 2324
Notary, 15
Medicine, 395
Pharmacy, 102
Practitioners of medicine, 72
Practitioners of pharmacy, 19
Midwives, 12

By means of the incomplete data which precede, and it is a fact that they do not exist in more exact form or of more recent date in the Ministry of the Colonies, it is easy to recognize the great results which can be obtained in regard to making reading and writing general among the Indians, and in seeing that they learn the Castilian language, for only a very small fraction of them know it very superficially.

Some advance has been made since the establishment of the normal school. But there is still much to do, and it is necessary that so crying a need be considered with the haste and decision that this important matter demands.

The establishment of schools of arts and crafts will also be very convenient and useful, and truly they will be productive of great results. Everything which contributes to the propagation of the teaching of industries, to the creation of superintendents and assistants of public works, master-masons, and all that relates to these matters, ought to be encouraged, and must be an advantageous and efficacious blessing to the natives of that country, who are extremely skilful in all the imitative arts and crafts, rather than for the studies which demand the employment of the superior faculties of the intelligence.5


1 The meteorological observatory was founded by the Jesuits in 1865, its main object being the discovery of the laws of the typhoons that rage in Oriental seas. Its other departments—seismatic, magnetic and astronomic—were added later. For the first five years the apparatus was very scarce, and most of that was lent by the Ateneo Municipal, but notwithstanding that, some excellent work was done in those early years. In 1870, the publication of a bulletin was begun, and new apparatus began to be installed. The first typhoon was forecast and notice of its coming given in 1879. Finally the government authorities made the observatory a central institution and placed it officially in charge of the Jesuits. In 1898, through the influence of the British meteorologist at Hongkong, the United States government ordered the coming of typhoons not to be announced, but the order was speedily revoked. Of this observatory Packard says in the Educational Report for 1897–98, pp. 973, 974: “The latest fruit of the scientific activity of the Jesuits, and the most important and best known scientific institution in the Philippines, and perhaps in the whole east, is the famous meteorological observatory of Manila, which was founded in 1865, and now has one of the most complete equipments for meteorological observations in the world. An important practical service which the observatory renders shipping is the warning of approaching hurricanes, which it is enabled to give by means of its branch stations at different points in several of the islands. The Jesuit father Faura, who is so well known for his meteorological work, has been for a long time in charge of the observatory, and began forecasting the weather as early as 1879. Expeditions have been made under his direction all over the archipelago, with a view to making magnetic and other observations.” See also ArchipiÉlago Filipino, ii, pp. 5–16.?

2 “Manual for the traveler:” a guide book, in which various interesting statistics are published.?

3 Historia geogrÁfica, geolÓgico y estadistica de Filipinas (Manila, 1876), by Agustin de la Cavada y Mendez de Vigo. This author was for many years a State official in the Philippines. He died in Spain in 1894. See Pardo de Tavera’s Biblioteca filipina, p. 96.?

4 The Indian and mestizo advocates, too abundant in that country, are a real calamity to it, and the same thing may be said of them as of the Indian secular clergy. They do not know the law, nor do they ever come to understand what they have studied. They obtained their certificate, thanks to the excessive tolerance of their professors, and once converted into licentiates and even doctors, they pay for their benefits and the honor which they have received by becoming outrageous anti-Spanish. They believe themselves superior to the latter, and dream of republics in which they can figure and strut. Their ridiculous hopes, and their vanity and deficiency would be excusable, if they did not deceive their simple countrymen in a nursery of litigation with their eagerness of defending evil causes. Such is, although it be a cause for regret, the general rule. See Montero y Vidal, ArchipiÉlago Filipino, pp. 192, 193, note.?

5 This is one of the needs that has been most apparent to the American authorities since 1898. The stress laid upon industrial training is evident from the many Filipinos among the government pupils now in the United States, who are being trained especially in agriculture and the various forms of engineering. Regarding trade schools and industrial instruction, see Report of Philippine Commission, 1905, iv, p. 412.?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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