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.

64 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Many of its provisions conflict with subsequent regulations. New appointees to administrative positions are often quite at a loss to know just
what the regulations are. It is the opinion of many of the older
administrative officers that abundant authority is given to division superintendents in these regulations, to exercise sufficient authority and initiative to develop widely divergent provincial systems and make effective
their own educational ideas. Others deny it. Some quite frankly
state in open discussion that they ignore the current regulations. The
effect, however, of this situation upon the more inexperienced of the
division superintendents is not salubrious.
Even so important a matter as a high-school course of study may be
quite different from that officially reported to the central office. In
defense of this practice is urged that the official course does not fit
certain localities and had to be modified despite general regulations.
Evidence has been presented that occasional reports in other respects
do not actually represent conditions as they are. No stronger argument could be presented showing the danger of depending too greatly
upon paper report for the supervision of an educational system.
A third disadvantage growing out of this centralization and standardization of the system is that the entire system takes on a mechanical
nature. This even extends to the pupils as is clearly shown in the
detailed reports on the special subjects which follow. This topic is also
considered in the discussion on the American personnel. But this feature
of the problem relates to the Filipino staff and to the children as well.
Real education cannot be wholly mechanized nor can successful teaching be done through a routinized, formal procedure.
SUPERVISION.-Another consequence of this development of the report system has been a gradual substitution of inspection for supervision.
There was a time when the Philippine system was in advance of other
countries including most of the American state systems, in its efficient
supervisory system. Standardization has now developed so far that
little more is done by the supervisory staff than a checking up of the numerous regulations and the filling out of report blanks. Even supervisors from the general office give so much attention to petty details
that division superintendents report their visits to be of little or no profit.
Inspection is a formal process of checking up to make sure that general
regulations are observed. Supervision is personal assistance given by
a professional expert to those less experienced in such work. Such assistance cannot be given or understanding gained by a few moments
visit in a classroom. The only sound basis for real judgment is the
observation of complete recitations. Adequate supervisory visits of a
number of the general office academic staff would take several weeks in
a province.