doing their best, it would seem, to drown out the voices. of the teacher and the pupil reciting. The teacher asked only the questions that were written down in the book. To the visitor it would seem as if instruction, as carried on by the native teachers, was tediously mechanical, noisy, and hardly effective or economical. The teachers did not have fixed daily programmes, and so the school hours were not well distributed. On the average those who attended the schools did so from their seventh to their tenth year. The teachers were classified according to the importance of the towns where they served. Compensation was so small that the calling of a teacher had come to be looked down upon. There were no courses for those engaged in teaching. There was no professional enthusiasm. Appointments were governed too much by the terms of service of the teacher, while the quality of his service was not considered. It is asserted by practical parties that in 1897 there were in these islands 2,167 public schools. Some idea of the courses of study in the better class of the Catholic schools in provincial towns since American occupations may be gained from the following letter which Dr. Stuntz of Manila received from a friend: "In the school that I spoke to you about, three books are used, namely, 'Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana,' by Gaspar Astete; "The Manual de la Infancia,' prepared by the Jesuits and for sale in Manila; and 'Paginas de la Infancia,' a Spanish reading-book composed of short stories with morals. The first book is nothing but an ordinary catechism, small and very simple. The second book, 'Manual of Infancy,' is a general text-book of octave size and 416 pages. Its chapters, translated from A VARIED CURRICULUM 251 the Spanish, are the following: 'Sacred History'; or a short digest of the important events of the Old and New Testaments; 'Religion,' which deals largely with the doctrine of the Catholic Church; 'Morality' (or Morals in Spanish), which is something like our 'Ethics,' but with a strong leaning toward the Catholic doctrine; 'Politeness,' or Courtesy, rules for social life; English Grammar; Spanish Grammar; Arithmetic; Geometry; Geography, and History of the Philippines. All these subjects are included in one book of 416 pages, and the greatest space is given to the treatment of Sacred History, Religion, Morality and Courtesy. English and Spanish Grammar, History, Geography, Arithmetic and Geometry are comprised in less than 200 pages.” CHAPTER XXIV THE AGLIPAY MOVEMENT A Charges and Counter-Charges-Governor Taft En- MONG the problems which have disturbed the Civil Government from the outset have been those connected with the Roman Catholic Church. The insurrection against the Spanish power, preceding by two years the arrival of Admiral Dewey, was really an uprising by the Filipinos against the Spanish friars. There was no thought of leaving the Catholic Church, and no turning away from the padres or native priests; but there was intense feeling against the Spanish friars. Governor Taft has shown a very earnest desire to maintain a course which shall not only be absolutely impartial between contending religious factions, but also appear to both to be impartial. He has protected the Protestants against the persecution of officials who desired him to forbid the holding of Protestant services, and he has at the same time tried to deal justly with the friars. A movement against the Roman Catholic Church was begun by a native named Gregorio Aglipay, in 1901, and it has spread throughout several of the islands under |