isa-normaladvance-1903-00022

Description:	22THE NORMAL ADVANCE.are soon eliminated. Many are ambitious andhard working and in a few years will make goodteachers. The future of the Philippine schoolsdepend, to a large extent, upon these teachers, forthe Americans can reach but a small number ofthe thousands of school children.The financial support of the schools comes fromtwo sources. The Insular Government- pays theAmerican teachers and superintendents and furnishes the textbooks and other supplies. Themoney for these items comes from tariff collections. The municipal funds arc derived from alight land tax, poll taxes and licenses, which usually provide sufficient funds for the schools. As thenative teachers are paid, on the average1, $10(gold) per month, not a great amount is requiredfor tuition. Some difficulty has been met in having teachers paid promptly this comes from a disregard for the schools and a desire of the municipalofficers to pocket the wages of the teachers. Many .towns are building schoolhouses and paying forthem with one years taxes. These buildings costfrom $250 to $5,000 (gold).In the near future provincial high schools willbe established where practicable. These will, inthe beginning, give advanced work in the commonbranches and industrial work as rapidly as it canbe introduced. This is expected to counteract atendency of the natives to become indifferentclerks, and poorer doctors and lawyers, and givethem training in the industrial arts, in which theyare very apt. To make the latter plan successfulthey need to be given a very strong impression ofthe dignity of labor. An industrial school hasbeen established in Manila, and is doing goodwork. Normal schools have been conducted in thecapital and in several important cities and havebeen well attended. In some cases the schools werenot able to admit all who desired to enter. In timea thoroughly equipped university will be established, and then the complete educational systemwill be in operation.It has been most evident from the beginningthat an immense amount of work is to be done.The ignorance of the people, even of those who.think themselves educated, is appalling. Most ofthe people know nothing beyond the boundariesof their own towns or provinces. I am safe insaying that more genuine knowledge will bespread among the people in the next ten yearsthan has been given them in the last three centuries. The American teachers have been well received and supported by the people. For the firsttime in the history of the islands, education hasbeen open and. absolutely free to everybody.With regard to the American teachers who havebeen employed in the schools, it can be said thatmost of then! are more than satisfied with theirwork and surroundings. Some who came were unfitted for the work by age some came to have agood time or to seek other work. These have given the impression that the teachers have a hardtime. Aside from a considerable number ■ whohave been asked to resign, and a few who were unable to stand the conditions of life here, most ofthe teachers will complete their terms of service.It is true that there have been some unfortunaterulings that have caused complaint, but in the establishment of a new government here such thingsare unavoidable.In fact it is remarkable how much has beenachieved in all departments of the government inthe past months. To me the most discouragingfeature is the hypercritical attitude of certain factions in the United States. Instead of supportinga policy that is doing everything possible for thegood of the islands, and coping with all kinds ofdifficulties, these persons offer endless criticisms,but fail to tell what they would do in the case.We are pleased to remember that these unhappycritics are a long way off, and, while they arethinking up nice things to say about the management of the Philippines, the good work goes onhere. Very truly yours,T. D. Anglemyer.Lingayen, Pangasinan, May 31, 1902.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/33755
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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