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.

628 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

of farming that it has elsewhere recommended a great change in the
organization of secondary education. This is to the effect that a considerable number of academic high schools now found in every province
be transformed as rapidly as possible into rural high schools which will
emphasize the life of the farm in all its aspects. Moreover, the recommendation is also to the effect that in the establishment of additional
high schools, preference should be given to those of the rural type. If
these recommendations are carried out, it is evident that there will be
necessity of close cooperation between the College of Agriculture and
the Bureau of Education to articulate the curriculum and the activities
of the rural high schools with those of the College of Agriculture. Since
the transition from the older to the newer system of secondary education
requires not only wise but experienced guidance, the Commission recommends that one of the rural high schools should be established at Los
Bafios under the supervision of the College of Agriculture. The college
would not only be able to assist in that way to standardize the work of
the new rural high school but to perform the equally important function
of training the requisite supervisors and teachers. The College of Agriculture would then be in a position similar to that of the College of
Education which has the University High School under its direction to
enable it to train teachers and supervisors for the academic high schools.
Obviously in the training of teachers for the rural high schools the highly
scientific curriculum of the College of Agriculture would require considerable modification.
One other aspect of the problem of training in the College of Agriculture should be mentioned here. The criticism has often been made
that practically all of its graduates, instead of returning to the farm,
go into the service of the Bureau of Agriculture of the Government or
become teachers of elementary science in the high schools. The explanation given of this situation is plausible. The student body of the
college is economically poor, a greater proportion of them working their
way through college than in any other division of the University. Up
to the present year, the Bureau of Agriculture has been ready to absorb
all the graduates of the college, and how appealing an immediate job
with a salary attached would be to a penniless graduate is patent.
Moreover, the average graduate must return to a home which not only
carries on its farm work by antiquated methods but in many instances
looks upon his suggestions for improvement with little favor. To realize
them on his own initiative requires capital with which he is unprovided.
At one time there was hope that assistance in this respect would be
forthcoming from the rural credit system which had been established in
the Islands, but as the result of maladministration, this hope has remained unfulfilled. Nevertheless, what the Philippines need more than