Note 30 — Chapter XIII · (continued 2)

James A. LeRoy (Philippine Life, p. 203) says of the textbooks used in the Philippines: “After 1863, and up to the American conquest, the catechism remained the chief feature of daily work in the primary schools, often relegating all else to an insignificant place—much depending upon the preparation, at best a scanty one, of the teacher. A badly printed little 150 page textbook, prescribed by the government for the schools, was reader, writer, speller, arithmetic, geography, history of Spain and the world (Spain overshadowing), Spanish grammar (quite commonly not taught, because the teacher knew little or nothing of it), and handbook of religious and moral precepts (many pages). This book, moreover, shows how pitifully inadequate was the Filipino child’s schooling at the very best; for often not even this textbook was employed, perhaps because the teacher was not prepared to use it.” ↑