A survey of the educational system of the Philippine islands by the Board of educational survey, created under acts 3162 and 3196 of the Philippine Legislature.

72 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE. PHILIPPINES
should be selected and should then be assigned to positions which they
are qualified to fill. It should be noted in this connection that few of
those trained in English and teaching English, constituting 13 per cent
mentioned above, are prepared to teach the kind of English most needed
in the Philippine schools. However, having the language as a native
tongue they are prepared to adapt their training to local conditions.
In the second place, the term of contract and the length of service in
a given position is too brief. The term of contract is now two years.
To those drawn by a desire for new experience and a novel environment,
and who are attracted by the lure of travel, the appeal is strong. Yet
at least a year is required successfully to adapt oneself to such completely different surroundings. If the term is for two years only, the
mental attitude generated during the second year by anticipation of
further foreign travel or the desire for novel experiences is not one
calculated to promote good teaching. The initial term should be at
least three years.
Moreover, many of these teachers are transferred to different schools
from year to year. For teachers who are here in a spirit of adventure,
this is no hardship; but this does not justify the custom on the educational
side. When the tendency to seek transfer extends to the administrators,
the results are even more disastrous. Statistical study of the entire
Islands shows that the tenure of office of American high-school principals
is 1.5 years for each position. No effective high-school system can be
developed or operated under such conditions, nor can able men be held
long in service. The impossibility of building up a school in which
personal pride finds satisfaction is destructive of all professional interest.
Efforts should be made to hold the American teachers long in the
service and to retain them for a longer period in a given assignment.
Plans are discussed elsewhere through which much might be done. This
plan is of attaching a definite stipend to the principalship of each school.
This stipend should be given in addition to the regular salary and should
be attached to the office and received by the principal only so long as
he fills the given position.
In the third place, the mental attitude of the teachers is of great
importance. Satisfaction in the position and pleasure in the work are
essential to good teaching and to good administration. Due to the
operation of numerous factors this does not now generally exist among
the American personnel. Due to the fact that the Bureau is carrying
a load of a large centralized system and that it has no promotional or
supervisory staff in the field of secondary education, there is little or no
personal or professional contact between the teachers and the central
office. Either there should be much greater local autonomy or there
should be much more direct personal supervision from the central office.