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.

BOARD OF EDUCATIONAL SURVEY REPORT

29

approximately 95 per cent of the teachers in primary and intermediate schools have undertaken their work without previous professional
preparation. They have received only such training as could be given
them during the period of their service. This training has been given
through close supervision, teachers institutes, systematically-organized
professional reading, and detailed instructions. However effectively administered, these methods cannot compensate for lack of proper antecedent technical training.
This situation originated in the eagerness to establish schools, and a
consequent unwillingness to wait for the preparation of a properly-trained
personnel. It has been perpetuated by a policy of rapid expansion
which has given the establishment of new schools precedence over all
other expenditures. Administrative sensitiveness to the seriousness of the
situation has been dulled by the fact that the average academic attainments of teachers have been steadily raised. Satisfaction over this
achievement has diverted attention from the fact that these higher attainments included no special preparation for teaching.
The normal schools which have been organized and maintained have
done good service. Of the Philippine Normal School this has been
notably true. This service has been limited in its effectiveness because
of the inability of the teaching profession and of the normal schools
to attract the more able students; because of administrative willingness
to accept the work of the general high-school course as satisfactory
preparation for teaching; because of lack of carefully selected personnel
in normal schools; because of insufficient funds to attract and to hold
an able personnel; because of failure to make the curriculum strictly
professional; and because of inadequate practice-school facilities. If
Filipino children are to be taught by expert teachers, all of these conditions must be corrected.
Two definite steps are recommended as feasible and necessary if this
situation is to be remedied. A policy of appointing to a teaching position only those who possess specific professional training should be
definitely adopted and announced. Provision must be made for giving
adequate training to selected students. The factors which must determine the amount of training required are largely economic in their
nature. Consideration of these factors and of the policies which it has
been possible to enforce in regard to the amount of secondary education required of teacher appointees, leads to the conclusion that the
required training should be a four-year normal course of high-school
grade. That these schools would attract an adequate number of
students even with the present levels of teachers salaries is certain.
This is assured by the fact that teaching is one of a very few gainful
occupations definitely open to persons with secondary education. Data