Then and now, public instruction, today’s equivalent of public school education, has always been an important aspect of American colonial agenda. During the calendar year 1912, the budget for the operation of schools in Moro Province, including the district of Davao, amounted to PhP93,923.95, or PhP14.66 per pupil enrolled.
In ‘The Annual Report of the Governor of the Moro Province’ as of June 30, 1913, Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing, US Army, as governor, reported that of the fifteen American teachers in the province one was sent to Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, while another was based in the town of Davao.
The colonial administration also allotted one hundred ten slots for native teachers. There was, however, disparity in the salary scale between male and female educators. The women got an average monthly pay of PhP26.02 as opposed to the PhP30.95 the male mentors got. Given the positive response for public instruction, the Superintendent of Schools, despite the obvious lack of teachers in areas populated by Muslims, reported:
“There is gratifying demand for new schools in all parts of the Province, the most insistent requests coming from Davao Gulf and Tawi-Tawi; probably twenty new schools could be started immediately if funds and teachers were available. The lack of teachers is especially conspicuous in the case of new Moro schools. Christian teachers usually object to assignment in Moro settlements. So, we must build up a corps of Moro teachers.
“Two years ago, the Legislative Council authorized the appointment of five government students with an allowance of P15.00 per month for periods of two years with the proviso that, upon completion of the designated term of study, each student must accept a position in the teaching service. The first class of five-one from the East Coast, one from Lanao, two from Cotabato and one from Sulu have just completed their course and have all been appointed teachers. The current appropriation bill provides for ten such students beginning June 1, 1913.”
Curriculum in public schools was not confined only to normal education. As early as 1911, at Lais, Malita, Davao Occidental, an experimental agricultural school established chiefly to train boys from indigenous communities, the so-called ‘wild tribes,’ was launched. But the endeavor was not without its predictable hurdles. The Moro Province governor reported:
“Suitable buildings were erected, and a small area placed under cultivation. Considerable difficulty has been found in obtaining a satisfactory head teacher for this school. The work in iron and carpentry done by the pupils is very promising. They are taught gardening and raise a variety of vegetables for their mess. Each boy has a small patch of hemp of his own, and what he strips during recreation hours is sold for his individual benefit.
“The progress made by the boys in learning the English language compares very favorably with that of Filipino boys. District Governor [Charles F.] Richmond [of Davao] has given this school much of his time and whatever success it may have attained is due to his efforts.”
To classify normal institutions preparing students to become teachers from other public instructions, church-based institutions were called ecclesiastical schools.
American public instruction, which got its legal foundation under Act 73, which was enacted in January 1901, was made more efficient by the creation of school boards. An unnamed division superintendent, whose account was published in ‘Education Report, 1900-1901’, wrote:
“The school board in each municipality, according to law, shall consist of five or seven members, as the division superintendent may determine, one member of which is the presidente [mayor] of the municipality ex-officio. In towns having widely scattered barrios, or having a population of 10,000 or more, seven members constitute the board, but in the other municipalities a smaller membership is sufficient.
“One-half of the members are elected by the municipal council and one-half appointed by the division superintendent. The qualifications are not named by law… The appointments are made by the division superintendent and sometimes also upon the advice of the chief of constabulary or of the commanding officer.
“In as far as possible, members are chosen to represent various parts of the municipality. Some of the larger municipalities contain barrios having a population of two or more thousand people. Care is taken to have these barrios represented on the school board. Each member is elected or appointed for a term of two years, but in case of misconduct, inefficiency, or other action unbecoming to his office may… be removed from office by the division superintendent.
“As soon as the school board is complete in its membership, the presidente is instructed to call a meeting for the purpose of organization and discussion of the duties of the board. They are directed to choose a chairman and a secretary for the year current, and to form such subcommittees as may seem necessary. At the same time the division superintendent presents the needs of the present schools, requests or suggests possible plans for the future development of the schools, explains concisely the purposes of the public schools…
“The first duty of the school board–to visit the schools–is important. Neither the people nor the board at the present time understand the purpose of the public schools. Education has to them been mainly ornamental. Education for life is a new idea. It is very important, therefore, that the influential men in each community visit the schools conducted by the American teachers. The school board, however, has no power to make improvement or to direct the teachers, but [may] make recommendations to the division superintendent and to the municipal council.”
This structure, though improvised, remains an indispensable part of the Phulppine educational system until today.
