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

229

in too many classes. The curriculum is partly responsible for this by
its failure to suggest specifically enough and continuously enough the
usage of everything helpful in the school or environment in teaching the
several subjects. The general statements in the introduction to the
courses of study are not sufficient.
8. Children are not given much opportunity for initiative or for
participation in activities which are educative. Illustrative toys or
models of industrial equipment, brought to school in connection with
the study of conversational English or home geography were made by
the parents of the children in some instances, and by the teachers themselves in others. Food, clothing, and shelter charts seen in a number
of schools were made by the teachers, not by the children. Real arithmetic problem from home and community life was rarely found in
schools. The courses of study should be full of stimulating suggestions
for initiative and activity on the part of children. Children, teachers,
supervisors, and administrators will all grow most effectively and wholesomely if given encouragement and support in doing something for themselves in using initiative and originality.
9. The curriculum has the appearance of being made for the teachers
and supervisors and not by them. This feeling finds corroboration in
their practice in literally following its details and in their hesitancy to
attempt any modifications of its prescriptions. The curriculum seems
to be something handed down from above, complete and unchangeable
until authoritatively revised.
In any really live school the curriculum is undergoing constant change
by the work of teachers and supervisors. If encouraged, teachers often
work out excellent units of material locally adapted, and by reporting
these to a central office for distribution, make them generally available
to other teachers. This means a constant growth of the curriculum
through the efforts of the whole teaching body. Very few such efforts
were seen in the schools, although an outstanding exception occurred
here and there. We were led to feel at times that any attempt to do
anything progressive was more often punished than rewarded.
DESIRABLE MODIFICATIONS PROPOSED.-The schools are organized
on the basis of a primary division for the common education of all
children, and an intermediate division providing additional general
education and direct preparation of most pupils for their life work.
The Survey Commission believes this basis of organization to be fundamentally sound. The ideal is a reasonable balance of liberal and
vocational education. This must be organized with definite reference
to the ability and maturity of pupils and to the social and economic life
of the Philippine Islands. The excellent progress made already toward
this ideal is heartily recognized and appreciated. The purpose here