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

373

found in the ordinary secondary school of the United States, certain
of the traditional elements still retained on the other side of the Pacific
having been abandoned, its lineage is altogether apparent. This curriculum consists of five units of English, five units of history and social
science, three units of natural science, and three units of mathematics.
In addition, provision is made in all schools for physical education,
military drill and games, and, in some schools, for the optional subjects
of music and Spanish. This curriculum, when viewed as a whole, is
not badly balanced; but a more detailed study shows serious defects.
ENGLISH COMPOSITION AND LITERATURE.-By requiring five units
of work in English, those who have been responsible for the organization
of the curriculum have recognized the great importance of this subject.
In the first year two units of English, one in composition, and the other
in literature, are offered. In each unit the two divisions of English
are about equally stressed. The methods and content of the course
have been worked out for this subject as for no other subject in the
high school. In the field of literature provision has been made for intensive classroom study, extensive classroom reading, home reading,
supplementary reading, study of figures of speech, and use of the
library. Reading lists and detailed suggestions have been prepared
to cover all phases of the subject. In the field of composition the work
of those in charge of the organization of the course has been no less
thorough. The amount of time to be given to oral and written composition and to phonics and word dris has been determined. Through
printed manuals and courses of study the road has been made so clear
that even the immature teacher would hardly lose his way.
Yet that the results which have been achieved are far from satisfactory is denied by nobody. Few pupils who are graduated from
the secondary school have a reasonably thorough command of English.
The tests show that, while their knowledge of correct language usage
and their vocabulary range are considerably increased during the highschool period, their gain in reading power is but slight. In fact, the
median achievement of high-school seniors in paragraph reading, the
best single measure of reading ability, is practically identical with the
standard reached in the fifth grade in the United States. Moreover,
the gain in reading power between the first and last years of high
school is no greater than the gain from the fourth to the fifth grade for
American children. Few teachers of English have confidence in the
program which is being followed. Practically all admit that the highschool graduate who is able to read an ordinary work of fiction easily
and rapidly and with interest is the exception. Members of the Commission have observed repeatedly the difficulties which the pupils have
with both oral and written speech. The progress of every recitation is