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.

80 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Eighty-two per cent of the pupils enrolled in the public school are
found in the four primary grades. Evidence from the tests shows that,
unless a child remains sufficiently long to cover the work of this division
of the system, he receives little intellectual profit from his brief experience in the school. The first great need of education in the Islands
is, therefore, not the extension of opportunities to boys and girls who
are not reached today, but rather the retention in school of those who
are now enrolled. If society is to realize on the investment of funds
in the first two, three, or four years of education, it must hold the
children for the subsequent years. This will require increased revenues,
but if adequate return is to be received for the present expenditure, such
revenues must be secured.
Before the system is further expanded attention should also be given
to improving the quality of instruction. The present elementary-school
curriculum is in many respects ill-adapted to the experiences and needs
of Filipino children. Before a single peso is spent on bringing this
curriculum to more boys and girls, sufficient funds should be spent in
its improvement to make certain the largest possible educational result.
To continue the use of a poor instructional tool, when a much better
one could be secured with a relatively small expenditure of funds, is
wholly indefensible. Haste in executing any program is hardly justified
unless that program is good; haste in executing an educational program
which will determine school practice for years and even for generations
cannot be defended unless that program has been proved educationally
and socially sound. The direction of public funds to an improvement
of the curriculum, the educative activities in which school children
engage, may be expected to produce enduring benefits.
Since the improvement of the curriculum is a function of the personnel
in the schools of the Islands, the greatest need in improving the quality
of instruction is for a more able and better trained teaching, supervisory,
and administrative staff. Before funds are used in the further extension
of educational opportunities steps should be taken to secure such a staff.
Much of the teaching in the schools today is ineffective because those
to whom society has delegated its educational responsibilities lack both
academic and professional training. In its discussion of teacher training the Commission has outlined an extensive program for the improvement of the teaching staff which will cost between a million and a half
and two million pesos annually. It has also made recommendations
for the creation of a superior supervisory and administrative staff in the
central office. So numerous are the problems and so overwhelming are
the difficulties which attend the development of the Philippine school
system that peculiarly able leadership is absolutely imperative. In