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.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

327

An examination of the returns from the individual private high schools
shows that they differ considerably among themselves. This is well
brought out in Table 30 in which the seniors of three public high
schools are compared with the seniors in five private-adventure schools
and those in twelve sectarian schools. All of these institutions are in
the City of Manila. Except that the private-adventure school draws
its pupils more largely from the agricultural population, in social composition its student body is much like that of the public high school.
The contrast between the public school and the private sectarian school,
on the other hand, is decidedly pronounced. Over 50 per cent of the
pupils in these sectarian schools come from the merchant and professional
classes, whereas the laboring classes are practically without representation.
The explanation of this difference between the private-adventure
and the sectarian schools, since the tuition charges are about the same
in the one type of institution as in the other, is not altogether clear.
Certain of the sectarian schools are splendidly equipped and carry the
great social prestige which is the product of a long educational tradition.
Why is it, therefore, that prospective students pass them by for these
private-adventure schools? The answer is apparently to be found in
the fact that these young people of modest means desire to secure the certificate of secondary-school graduation at the very lowest possible cost
and in the shortest possible time. They consequently go to those
institutions that can make them the most attractive commercial proposition. The standards of admission to these schools are not high, the
requirements governing attendance and graduation are low, expenditures
for maintaining a certain social standing are not required, and the regulations of the school are so modified as to make it possible for the pupil
to engage in remunerative labor before or after school hours. Wherever,
as in the Philippines, there is great interest in acquiring the symbols of
education, schools organized to exploit this interest may be expected
to flourish and to enroll many who are constrained by economic necessity to secure the desired symbols with the minimum expenditure of time
and money.
Another interesting fact revealed by the study is that the public high
school draws its population from a much more restricted area than does
the private school. As shown in Table 31 this tendency is well
illustrated by the situation in Cebu.