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

43

through the use of the phonograph. By such means the defective English of teachers will be supplemented. It may also be improved.
To do this, a thorough survey of the whole language problem should
be made by competent specialists. Such a study should include the
critical analysis of the vernacular context; the systematic observation
and measurement of the activity of the speech organs during the oral
reading process; a detailed study of the tonal quality, rhythms, accent
and syllabication of Filipino tongues and a minute comparison with
corresponding elements of English. Finally, tests should be made to
fit the phonic situation in the Philippines.
Other studies were made by the Commission to check the results of
the tests. The reading ability of three groups of citizens was tested.
The adults, averaged about 25 years of age, had all completed four
years of school work and had been out of school five years. The
number of persons tested was small and no positive or far-reaching
conclusions can be drawn. The results confirm rather definitely, however, the findings from the testing of primary-school children. Those
adults who had had only three years of schooling retained almost
nothing after five years; those of four years showed definitely more
reading ability; and those of five years of attainment in school had a
very real command of reading skill. The study, tentative though it is,
presses home again the need for holding children in school longer and
for raising markedly the quality of language instruction.
By analyzing the records for some years back of the Bureau of
Civil Service the Commission studied the question: Can Filipinos who
have been through various numbers of school grades express themselves
adequately in written English? During the past twenty-five years,
several hundred thousand persons have taken the English-composition
examinations of the Bureau. The entrance requirements for these
examinations include definite amounts of schooling. In ten years
190,191 candidates were examined, and only 23 per cent passed. Of
the total number in various years, only 1 to 3 per cent passed the
English-composition examinations. Out of 1,134 candidates in 1921,
1,114 or 98 per cent failed. In 1918, out of 292 candidates for the
position of "messenger" not one passed; of 160 candidates for thirdclass patrolman not one passed. The 1922 results for examination
for junior teacher were no better. Out of 561 candidates 87 per cent
failed.
On the whole, therefore, the evidence appears to be clear that the
present organization of English composition in the elementary and
secondary schools is not producing young people who can express
themselves clearly and correctly in writing.