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.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

493

How THE PROGRAM IS CONDUCTED.-The central administration
of physical education is given mainly through the Manual for Teachers
and the Service Manual. The Assistant to the Director of Education,
in addition to his other duties, cares for correspondence arising out of
the conduct of the program. There is, however, no central direction.
In the provinces the division superintendent is responsible for the
program and frequently is the president-treasurer of the Division Athletic
Executive Committee. Divisions are divided into districts and the supervising teacher of each district is chairman. This is a good type of
organization. Its weakness lies in the absence of professional help and
stimulation.
For the actual teaching program in physical education there are no
trained leaders. The classroom teacher is responsible for the physicaleducation periods. This is an advantage in the unity that it may bring
to the entire program of the schools. The classroom teacher, however,
should be better trained and trained particularly in a modern program.
The teachers are less well trained in the theory, procedures, and activities of physical education than they are in the other subjects. Earnest
and conscientious generally, they show the effect of insufficient training
and the absence of a critical judgment upon the activities of the program.
They apply to the physical education activities the same formal methods
used in the academic subjects with about the same results-perfunctory
performance.
The use of the relief exercise periods for assemblage of all the children for mass drill, the absence of individual adaptation of activities, the
moderate use of available space, all suggest the need for radical change
in method of procedure. Most of the difficulty in the judgment of the
Commission lies in evaluating physical education as a disciplinary, exhibitive activity and in not understanding the mechanism by means of
which physical vitality is strengthened and conserved.
TRAINED AND UNTRAINED TEACHERS.-It is not desirable to provide generally, even if it were financially possible, special teachers of
physical education. The essential needs can be met adequately by
proper training in the normal schools, by training and appointment of
supervisors, and by training and appointment of special teachers for the
high schools.
WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD PROGRAM?-If guiding principles are
considered in formulating a program of physical education, what kind
of a program would be construed for public schools in the Philippines?
If the limitations and opportunities of the environment, the nature of
boys and girls in school, and the needs of society are valid principles,
what activities would satisfy? It' must be clear at the start that the
program must be elastic, adaptable to the seasons, and to the field