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.

400 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

differences among the positions should not be so great as to encourage
constant transfers from school to school. This schedule of compensation should not only attract able persons into the profession, but it
should also insure professional stability.
The high-school principal should be guaranteed security of tenure.
Without doubt one of the greatest weaknesses in the present system is
the amazingly brief tenure of the principal. Under present conditions
it is utterly impossible for a principal to develop an educational policy
for his school. Long tenure of office should be encouraged, sudden
transfers should be reduced to a minimum, and the principal should
always be consulted before he is moved. However, if the other recommendations embodied in this report are incorporated into the school
system, the problem of tenure will in all probability gradually solve
itself.
Local supervisors should be appointed in each of the larger high
schools. Wherever a subject-matter department has four or more
teachers, the most able and competent should be made head of the
department. He should be relieved of at least one period of work per
day and required to help the principal in discharging the supervisory
functions of the school. A basic weakness of the existing organization
is the practical absence of supervision. In a system where there are
so many inexperienced and untrained teachers this neglect of supervision is of exceptional gravity. The principal, working through and with
this staff, should center his attention on the improvement of instructionthe object for which the school is administered.
In concluding this chapter on secondary education the Commission
wishes to point out the need of providing professional training for all
high-school principals and supervisors. If possible, before an individual
is appointed to one of these responsible positions he should be required
to undergo a special type of training designed to fit him for his work.
This training, which should be based upon several years of successful
teaching experience, should include a study of the problems of the
administration and supervision of secondary education. Courses in the
social aspects and purposes of the high school should also be required.
For principals and teachers in the rural high school this training should
be given at Los Baios, and, for those who are to work in the normal
and academic schools, in the College of Education of the University of
the Philippines. Only as individuals are specially trained for these
positions can they be expected efficiently to discharge their functions.
Only as the functions of administrations and supervision are efficiently
discharged can the secondary schools of the Islands be expected to
fulfill their mission.