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.

22 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

which are none too large, and devote the proceeds to the support of
their schools. The Board is certain that the tradition thus developed
will not be allowed to perish.
In the light of this historical summary, certain features of the present!
situation should be noted. The system has greatly expanded in scope;
a much larger number of children are in school, the larger part of the
most experienced American personnel has withdrawn. Because of these
and other reasons, the promotional and supervisory staff of the Central
Bureau has been greatly curtailed. The funds devoted to its support
are less than they were when the system was half its present size.
It has been necessary to replace the field directing and supervisory force
of the Central Bureau by an office force. Partially because of CivilService regulations this force has been developed largely through the
clerical positions rather than from the school staff in the field. All
who examine the Bureau admit that this force is efficient, industrious,
and faithful in the type of work which it does and that probably it
has no superior in this respect in other educational systems. But the
inspection which it furnishes is too largely a paper one. Contact
between the Bureau and the school work in the field is maintained
not chiefly by personal visitation but by voluminous and numerous papers.
Probably no system in the world has developed so elaborate a system
of school and instructional accounting as has the Philippine system. '
A logical consequence has followed. The system has become routinized and standardized to a degree seldom found. Partly through the
holdover of army traditions the accounting with regard to funds and
all material equipment is particularly minute and effective. Once the
principle of supervision through report is adopted, with the increase of
funds expended and of the number of school children enrolled, its elaboration through formal standardization is bound to follow. Through
placing the operation of the system in the hands of a staff that has an
unduly high appreciation of the value of paper accounting, this tendency
is increased. Up to a certain point, standardization is an excellent
thing but the point may readily be reached where standardization may
kill the spirit and destroy all chance of growth.
Most of the major problems of administration arise from the situation described above.
The Philippine system has been in operation for twenty-five years.
This process of excessive standardization has been going on for much
of this time. During that time, there has been a rapid or gradual
reorganization of practically every school system in the world. That
of the neighboring country of China is almost in dissolution. The systems of Japan and India have experienced fundamental readjustments.
The same is true of almost every one of the countries of Continental