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.

474 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

It would seem to the Commission that the following should be carried
out at once: (1) Secure and maintain in the toilets the same standards
of cleanliness now so effectively held for the classrooms. (2) Erect
in many cases new and better out-buildings. (3) Restore seat covers
for all toilets, using larger and stronger hinges than those specified for
Antipolo systems. (4) School supervisors to hold school principals
responsible for all sanitary conditions. (5) School principals to assign
janitor to clean toilets before halls and yards are swept.
In some provinces, the Japanese method or a modification of it should
be experimented with (as they are doing at Silliman Institute) to determine the best type of sanitary equipment for the schools.
HEALTH HAZARDS OF THE SCHOOL PROGRAM
The program of Education in schools may offer opportunities to conserve the health of the child or it may impair his health. To accomplish
the former should be one of the first objectives of all teachers and
administrative staff. The Commission notes with satisfaction that this
principle is frequently illustrated; it has observed, however, some
fundamental violations.
PROLONGED PERIODS OF INACTIVITY.-Where school procedure is
extremely formal, the physical activity of the child is greatly restricted.
To overcome the restlessness and fatigue occasioned by such method,
there has grown up in recent years the practice of giving "relief exercises." Exercises of this name are provided in the Manual for Physical
Education but they have been taken out of the setting for which they
were devised and grouped into a calisthenic drill for six to ten minutes
at the recess period. The present exercises, while not relaxing as they
should be for this purpose, should be modified and used according to
the time scheme of the manual. Games and play such as were frequent in the classrooms thirteen years ago and only observed three
times in all the schools visited serve admirably the above "relief" purpose.
NUTRITION OF CHILDREN.-It is unquestionably true that many
school children are undernourished. An adequate study would undoubtedly show in the Philippines a relation between malnutrition and
school failure such as has been demonstrated in instances in the United
States. It is not known how many children in the Philippines come to
school without breakfast but the evidence is suggestive that this is the
experience of many. Economic conditions explain part of this; further
study would reveal all the facts. School lunches at recess time are
frequently picked up from the vendors of sweets, although in the Manila schools the domestic science department provides the school lunch
as a part of the pupils' training. This needs development, extension,