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.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

225

girls; and an intermediate division of three years in which a little more
than half of the work is common while the remaining portion of the
industrial work is divided into three lines, home-making subjects for girls,
and industrial or agricultural subjects for boys.
The curriculum in documentary form consists of a Course of Study
for Primary Grades revised in 1924; a Course of Study for Intermediate Grades published in 1918 but under revision for early publication;
and numerous special manuals for subjects not fully covered by these
courses of study. Numerous supplementary publications of the Bureau
of Education have been issued from time to time on the various subjects
of instruction or on closely related topics.
In the number of subjects and their content, the curriculum as a
whole represents almost as much as the usual American elementaryschool curriculum with an additional amount of industrial work.
As found in the schools visited, the real curriculum-what is actually
attempted in the classrooms-is a very close following of the detailed
work outlined in the printed courses of study.
REASONS FOR REVISING THE CURRICULUM.-Curricula as made
in the past have usually failed to provide for changes in the economic
and social conditions of peoples. They have also failed to provide
fully for their adaptation to the particular needs and conditions of
individual communities. And, until very recently, they have been made
largely on the basis of previous practise and current opinion rather than
upon the basis of careful, scientific surveys and studies of needs. This
has been true in all countries. Because of these methods of making
curricula, needs for revision are to be found in the curriculum here as
in other countries. Changes in the conditions and needs of the Philippine Islands have been very great within the last two decades.
Excellent work has been done in the development of the curriculum
for the Philippine schools which is recognized and commended. That
the time is ripe for making a thorough study of the changed conditions
to find what forms of revision are needed, is evidenced by certain facts
revealed by the survey of the schools. Some of the more fundamental
conditions and needs and the changes believed to be desirable to meet
them will be indicated.
GENERAL RESPECTS IN WHICH REVISION IS NEEDED.-The more
general particular in which changes are believed to be needed are first
indicated; and following these, each subject of study will be considered.
1. There is an attempt to do too much under the limitations of time
and conditions. The seven-year elementary-school curriculum attempts
to cover almost the same amount of work as the American elementaryschool course of eight years, with an additional amount of industrial
work. This is attempted despite the following facts: the work must
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