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

63

While it is admitted at the outset that highly centralized administrative control is now desirable and perhaps will be for years to come, the
question arises from a study of procedures now in force, from the sentiment of administrative staff in the field, and from the results of instruction which the survey staff has found, whether modifications of this high
degree of centralized administrative power are not now advisable. Upon
the desirability of one important step in this direction the Board is
agreed; namely, that the administration should be made a more personal
one through the development of an adequate promotional and supervisory
staff in the Central Bureau, which should have direction of all the
major lines of school activity. Due to the various factors mentioned in
the previous paragraphs the administration has become largely an impersonal one. A large degree of dependence upon written reports has
developed. A substitution of inspection for supervision has resulted.
An elaborate code of regulations embodied in the Service Manual and
general orders subsequently issued has grown up. A certain dehumanizing of the entire system is a consequence.
The first characteristic which impresses outside observers is the excess
sive number of written reports that are now required of all teachers and
administrators. No other school system with which any of the members
of the Commission is acquainted requires so many. An unduly large
portion of the time of teachers and administrators is given to such work.
This means that the personnel has little time to devote to professional
advancement through reading, study, conference, or visitation of the work
of others. The burden on the teaching and academic staff is so great
that large problems of school work are so covered up or ignored that
there is little incentive to progressive work, except that held out by salary
increase to be gained by rigid adherence to formal regulations. If such
voluminous reports are required of all members of the staff, it will be far
more economical, professionally, to supply the necessary clerical staff
to principals and supervisors as is now being done for division
superintendents.
However, much of this report work could, with profit, be curtailed.
A careful study should be made by the administrative system itself looking toward its simplification. The Survey Commission has had no time
to make such a study. Furthermore, it can be done more intelligently
by those perfectly familiar with the system through experience in it.
Obviously, the guiding principle in such a study should be that there is
no reason for collecting information of which no administrative use is
to be made.
Second: The elaborate code of regulations now found in the Service
Manual and in the supplementary general orders should be greatly
simplified. The Manual itself has had no revision for eight years.