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

365

of farmers where there is need, and the regional schools can cooperate
very effectively in making the local arrangements to utilize this aid.
The Bureau and the rural high school should work hand-in-hand to
accomplish purposes that are common. Likewise the College of Agriculture should be associated definitely with these other institutions in
their effort to raise the level of rural life.
Associated with the school, and as a part of its equipment, there
should be a public or community library. Although this library is not
to be clearly distinguished from that used by the regular pupils, books
should be selected for the purpose of meeting the needs of the older students. This library should be so administered as to extend to the people
the opportunities to read about the problems of rural life-health, vocational, domestic, civic-and to develop an interest in reading for its
own sake. Quite probably the first response of the adult population
to such opportunities would be far from enthusiastic; but, if the school
is successful in developing reading habits in its pupils, as they leave its
walls and become member of the community they should maintain a
connection with the school library and should thus gradually develop
a reading tradition in the population. In order to encourage the growth
of literary habits translation into the more important dialects of carefully selected volumes from English and other languages might be
made. The school should leave no stone unturned in its efforts to reach
and influence the community.
PERSONNEL
If the program here outlined is to have the slightest chance of success, if the rural high school is to become a virile educational institution,
the personnel in whose hands its destiny is placed must be selected with
the greatest care. The establishment of these schools should proceed
slowly, and certainly no more rapidly than the staff can be secured.
There are now in the Islands a sufficient number of qualified persons,
some trained in America and some trained in the Philippines, to inaugurate this movement towards a type of secondary education that is
adapted to rural life. Several years ago, for the purpose of developing the agricultural schools, there were brought from the United States
a group of teachers trained in the colleges of agriculture there. But
for some reason they were placed in the regular high schools to dissipate their energies in the teaching of English. If those of this group
who remain and others who have been identified with agricultural
education here be given the proper support, the movement can be
launched.
For the future, although the attraction of American teachers should
be encouraged, an increasing burden will have to be carried by training