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.

88 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

local governments. This is much to be desired. But in the meantime,
since almost three-fourths of the school revenues are now provided by
the Insular Government, the problem of the distribution of insular aid
is a most important one. Even with a much smaller fund at its disposal the central authorities should be able through apportionment to
guide and stimulate the development of sound educational practices.
In determining the methods to be employed in distributing insular
aid to provinces and municipalities, three principles should be kept in
mind. In the first place, provision should be made for the support of
certain educational enterprises which are of large social significance
and which are in danger of being neglected by the local governments.
The Commission has recommended very strongly elsewhere in the report that insular funds be employed in developing an adequate system
of teacher training. This is perhaps the outstanding need in the Philippine schools today. Similar recommendations have likewise been
made with regard to the development of an able professional staff and
the establishment of the rural high school. These enterprises, and
others which have received the attention of the Commission, are all so
important to the general welfare of the schools that they cannot be left
to the provinces and the municipalities. In the second place, these
funds from the central government should serve to stimulate the growth
of voluntary effort on the part of the local units. A certain portion of
the revenues should therefore be distributed in proportion to the contribution of the community. The average daily attendance at school
is usually regarded as a fairly satisfactory measure of such effort. In
the third place, the insular funds should be distributed in part according to the need. Some communities are poor, others are educationally backward. In order to foster the equalization of educational
opportunities among the provinces and the municipalities such communities should receive aid from the central government. This aid should
perhaps be distributed among the provinces according to the number of
children of school age. Within the province its distribution should be
left to the discretion of the division superintendent. This statement
shows how complicated is the problem of the distribution of insular aid.
At the present time insular aid to general education is given in two
forms: (1) For current expenses and (2) for the purchase of school
sites and the construction of buildings. Funds are also povided from
the central government for the support of certain special types of
schools. But with regard to the distribution of funds for the maintenance of the regular elementary and secondary schools two adverse
criticisms should be made. In the first place, this important educational
responsibility is not left to the authority best qualified to bear it. In
the second place, the rules for the distribution of the insular funds are