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

347

the existing regular high schools be regarded as academic high schools,
which they really are, their number should be cut in half. The attendance at these schools is wholly out of proportion to the college preparatory need. Some of the very small schools should be closed and,
where feasible, their plants used for rural schools. Others should be
converted into normal schools and their plants dedicated to the training
of teachers. The remainder should be erected into regional academic
schools and be organized to serve the needs of interprovincial areas.
In number the industrial and other secondary schools should be small,
and should be established only in the more important industrial and
commercial centers.
These secondary schools should articulate closely with the intermediate school. A very important function of the latter is that of vocational guidance. Its curricula and procedures should be so organized
as to explore and discover the aptitudes, abilities, and interests of its
pupils. Through the use of school records and psychological tests the
powers of the individual pupil should be discovered. Through wise
counsel these facts should be brought to bear upon the vocational and
educational decisions made by pupils, parents, and teachers. And
attendance at the various schools of secondary grade should be based
upon the knowledge gathered during the intermediate school period.
As we shall see later, a relatively rigorous form of selection should
be applied to those seeking admission to the normal and academic
schools. In so far as possible this selection should be made gradually
in the lower school rather than wholly at the time of entrance into the
secondary school. It must not be inferred, however, from what has
been said that the object of this program of guidance and selection is
to gather all the gifted boys and girls into the normal and academic
schools. In the other institutions of secondary grade, there should be
many pupils of very superior talents. In agriculture and industry there
is great need for at least a limited number of such individuals who
may supply the necessary leadership to raise the masses of the population
to a higher standard of living and cultural level.
Transfer from one type of secondary school to another should not be
expected and should occur but rarely. While there is much wisdom
in holding off an important decision as long as possible, it is the height
of unwisdom to prevent the execution of a decision by refusing to
provide the conditions necessary to its fulfillment. Educational and
vocational decisions must be made, and programs must be outlined
which assume that such decisions have been made. The curriculum
of each institution should, therefore, be organized about the purposes
for which that institution is created. No subject should be included