1.Democratic educational administration for the Philippine educational system

283 before 1940, shared w ith the national government In the sup­ p o rt of elementary education. These two u n its of government should he brought in again to help support public education so th at eq u ality of opportunity can be approximated for a l l . The problem of financing public education In the Philippines is one of the biggest problems, which can hardly be ade­ quately and s a tis f a c to r ily solved by the n ational government alone. Judged by the p rin cip le of a d a p ta b ility , the educa­ tio n a l system is also found wanting. The individual schools do not have any freedom to decide what educational program to provide fo r the children of th e ir communities. The money from the national support of education is not budgeted a t the local level; the specific allotments Included in the local budgets are pro-determined by the program decided a t the na­ tional level. Prudential controls are necessary for an effective ad­ m inistration of education. I t is the state*s duty to see that the people*® money is not dissipated through misappro­ p ria tio n , extravagance, or incompetence; to ascertain th at education is bought at a reasonable cost; and to see that the money is used for what I t was Intended. This Is one of the strong points of the centralized administration of education In-the. country. The checks and balances with regard to spending national appropriations fo r education are rigidly

284 exercised. In fa c t, I t can be said that the adm inistration of educational expenditure lias been on the side of over- prudence to the sa c rifice of the principle of adaptability and the p rin cip le of democracy* *■Transactions fo r the pur­ chase of a single textbook or a single lead p en cil, cannot be consummated except by the cen tral s ta f f In if&niia. Building Equipment and Supplies The authority to finance, plan, construct, remodel, or repair school buildings; the specification of school sites; the sp ecificatio n s and purchase of school supplies are a l l exercised by the cen tral o ffic e , ttThe exclusive control of the public school buildings and grounds Is vested on the Di­ rector of public S c h o o l s , O f the prin cip les, only that of equality of opportunity is served by th is program, By f i ­ nancing b u ild in g s, equipment, and supplies on a national b a sis, the pupils are assured of a minimum standard of hous­ ing f a c i l i t i e s and equipment and supplies* The principles of a d a p ta b ility , effectiv en ess, and democracy su ffe r most by th is arrangement, .toy school building constructed must con­ form to standard plans of the Bureau of Public Schools* The teachers, much le ss the community, have no hand in making the s IM d. , p. 21. Sfresnoaa, ?* P . , Jh£ Essential© of the Philippine Ed- uoattonal System, p. 269.

285 plans or suggesting provisions fo r work f a c i l i t i e s or in­ te r io r schemes, School buildings look ©ore lik e barracks, and classrooms are Just four w alls, equipped with black­ boards | a tab le and ch air fo r te&bhers, and desks for pu­ p ils , there are no storage spaces or work areas; conse­ quently, the educational program Is handicapped by the in­ flex ib le f a c i l i t i e s . In such a s e ttin g , effectiv e teaching is co n stricted . The problem here ia f i r s t to hurdle the fe tis h of uniform ity. To have e f fic ie n t, adequate, and democratic teaching doe® not necessarily require uniformity of buildings and other f a c i li t i e s , The situ a tio n regarding buildings* equipment, and supplies in the country today is serious. Most of tbs build­ ings, laboratories* equipment, lib ra rie s* and textbooks were destroyed by the war. The government is faced with recon­ stru ctin g a l l these and, in addition, with providing new f a c i li t i e s fo r the ever-growing school population. As in the case of the support of education, the solution to this problem w ill be dependent on the income of the nation. At present, most of the buildings erected, esp ecially in the b a rrio s, are temporary in nature, constructed out of bamboo and thatched with nips, palms. Most of these structures are to be replaced with permanent buildings m soon as finances are av ailab le. Now, more than a t any other time, the people should be brought in to help solve housing and equipment

286 A problems* to help plan the buildings and to decide what would be p ra c tic a b le under the circumstances* rh ile the people might make m istakes, ce n tra l supervision could pre­ vent co stly errors* In the meantime, the eitiaena of the community and the school s ta f f would be learning to attack problems cooperatively and gaining education in desirable democratic behavior. Th© Teaching Personnel The second condition important to the attainm ent of eq u ality of opportunity i s the adequacy and q u ality of teach­ er personnel* This la p a r tia lly met by the educational sys­ tem, The tra in in g of teachers fo r the elementary schools Is a major function of the Bureau of Public Schools, The quali­ ficatio n s required fo r admission in the teacher-training schools are high in an endeavor to s e le c t the most capable people fo r preparation as teachers. The education of high school teachers is undertaken by the State U niversity and the other 160 p rivate colleges and u n iversities, Tim Bureau s tip u la te s the amount of u n it work and the combination of major and minor subjects required to f i l l a teaching posi­ tion* C ivil service e l i g i b i l i t y is the main c rite rio n for the c la s s if ic a tio n of teachers Into the temporary or perm­ anent s ta tu s . Despite the number of In s titu tio n s preparing teac h er, the demand fo r q u alified teachers has never been

28? met. U ntil the percentage of professionally qualified teachers is raised , which is only 40 per cent of the to ta l, the q u ality of educational .opportunity w ill largely b© un­ equal* I t may be due to an awareness of the weak teaching personnel, and in an e ffo rt to equalise the quality of edu­ catio n , th a t the cen tral office has demanded s t r i c t compliance \\ with the ru le s , reg u latio n s, courses of study, manuals of in stru c tio n , e t c . , from 'the f ie ld force. Teacher© apply to the division superintendent for po­ s itio n s , but fee fin a l authority fo r appointment to salary and p o sitio n , a s s i g n m e n t to the d iv isio n , and even the case of tra n sfe rs, are a l l retained by the Director of Public Schools. To meet the principle of a d a p ta b ility , these powers should be granted to the division superintendent in order th a t the teacher needed fo r a situ atio n peculiar to a school can be employed with the le a s t delay. An impediment to raisin g the educational level in the Philippines is the low sa la rie s paid to teachers* Recognising the wide discrepancy between the high cost of post-war liv in g and fee pre-war salary level of the public school teachers, the government, in 1948, leg islated a position-type salary schedule, which raised the level of the teach ers1 compensa­ tio n . In s p ite of th is , sa la rie s remain Inadequate, and many teachers with high professional q u alificatio n s and experience are being lo s t to the Bureau of Public Schools on this

888 account, because p riv ate schools are w illing to pay almost double th a t offered in the public schools. This problem of teachers* s a la rie s , lik e those for cap ital outlay, mainten­ ance, and the lik e , cannot be accomplished w ithout in creas­ ing the amount of money fo r educational purposes* Educational Control In the Philippines* 'highly centralised educational system, the type of education and the techniques of in stru c­ tio n are a l l regulated from Manila* Textbooks are selected by the Board on Textbooks in the Department of Education* The curriculum is w ritte n out by the Curriculum Division in the c e n tra l office* The methods o f in s tru c tio n prescribed by the Bureau are under the surveillance of the In stru ctio n Division* The purpose served by th is close oversight of the educational system is apparently the principle of effectiv e­ ness* In a narrow sens®, effectiv en ess Is secured—uniform ru les are executed in a uniform manner? routine m atters are achieved w ith order, preciseness, and clock-like regularity; and Jobs- are performed with dispatch* However, in itia tiv e and independence of thought are not given a chance to flower, since a l l the teacher has to do is to follow ru les and regu­ lations* Hence, the adm inistration tends to be dehumanized by r ig id co n tro ls and standardization* By th® d efin itio n of effectiv en ess, the system fa ils in th is p rin cip le.

289 E ffectiveness fo r democratic education demands democratic procedures th a t guarantee p articip atio n ! cooperative group planning, and in te llig e n t freedom to experiment on the most acceptable methods to re a liz e the purposes of Philippine education* In methods of in stru c tio n , for example, while 60 per cent of the teachers are unqualified, the 40 per cent who are q u a lifie d can be encouraged to lead in developing b e tte r technique© of teaching and demonstrating the e ffe c tiv e ­ ness of th e ir methods to the re s t of the profession# The voluntary attack on professional problems by the teaching s ta f f can be the outcome of in te llig e n t guidance, to redound to more adaptable c u rric u la r and in stru c tio n a l offerings* Educational controls should challenge the teachers1 construc­ tiv e thinking such th a t they grow in expertness in d irectin g learning and not become merely expert purveyors of subject m atter and followers of rules* Effectiveness in [email protected] administration of a school implies educational leadership and not the mere imposition of authority on subordinates; i t implies developing leaders w ithin the system and wisely u tiliz in g emergent ta le n ts where they are found* Administrative Management The adm inistration, supervision, end actual operation of a ll public schools, including a il public teacher*training in s titu tio n s , is the re sp o n sib ility of the Bureau of Public

290 Softools. P o lic ie s , both general and s p e c ific , are formu­ la te d and enforced by the cen tral o ffic e . R esponsibility is clearly assigned to the various divisions and levels of Softools. The performance or fa ilu re of accomplishment of an undertalcing can be quickly traced to the person or e n tity responsible fo r i t . This systematic allocation of responsi­ b i l i t y Is a strong point in the adm inistration of the schools. I t s weakness, which se rio u sly impedes democratic and e ffe c tiv e ad m in istratio n , is the extremely scant amount of discretionary authority delegated in proportion to the re sp o n s ib ility assigned. According to Reeves: The main function of the division superinten­ dents is to carry out in the provinces and c itie s the programs prescribed by the c e n tra l o ffice of the Bu­ reau of Public Softools* • . * Only minor powers of decision are delegated to d iv isio n superintendents, even though in some cases, a d iv isio n superintendent may be held responsible, as the rep resen tativ e of the Bureau of Public Softools, fo r the education program of an area w ith a population of more than a m illion persons.^ Such a system of management breeds an a ttitu d e of wrunning to a u th o rity ” when important decisions are to be made. The pru d en tial controls in th is case c o n flic t with the principle of authority co-existing with resnonaiblllty* In the end, the principle of effectiveness is not served % eeves, jgg* c l t *, PP* 19-21.

291 ©luce the detachment of authority from re sp o n sib ility w ill in evitably produce weak adm inistration without in itia tiv e and without courage for i t s decisions* Whatever p a rtic ip a tio n there ever was in the adminis­ tra tiv e management of the schools by the public was abolished when the d ra stic Educational Act of 1940 was enacted, p rio r to th is tim e, lo cal municipal and c ity councils yearly helped to defray the expenses fo r elementary education by appropri­ ations from general funds* Provisions for lo cal boards of education and th e ir duties arc s t i l l extant in the statutes* fo v a l l th a t| there are no boards, and, i f there were, th e ir functions would comparatively be in sp ecto rial in nature.& Genuine p a rtic ip a tio n in deciding p o lic ie s, determining the nature of education adapted to the community, or selecting operational procedures are not encompassed by the function® of the lo cal boards* As the Philippine educational system now operates, the mode of management is pre-ordained in the general o ffic e , and the div isio n superintendents send In a numerealty of reports* The adm inistration of the schools, therefore, be­ comes \"dominated by c le ric a l routine and c le ric a l accounting and by an absence of professional leadership*\"® Appendix A &3ee P art I , p. 86* SM ati& B il flfttaa of %onroe, Paul, £ flurra* S t the jPhillpn.ln.e. Ja^LanMt p. §£0*

292 shows the Bureau of Public Schools forms and reports required o f the superlnten&ents and tb® dates when they are due to be subm itted to the general o ffic e . The le a s t number of re ­ p o rts due each month Is six* and the la rg e s t number» 22 re­ p o rts , are due In May. The stren g th s of the P hilippine educational system are the clear allocation® of resp o n sib ility , its unity of author­ i t y under the D irector o f Public School®, i t s closely k n it and coordinated o rg an ization, the rig id p ru d en tial checks and c o n tro ls, and the exacting supervision and oversight of the whole educational system. The admin1 stratio n of the schools achieves a c e rta in sense of clean-cut precision and efficien cy —the efficien cy of a w ell-oiled machine. However, i f the machinery of adm inistration is to provide an e ffe c tiv e and democratic education, I t must a ttack c e rta in inherent weaknesses of a highly c e n tra liz e d system# The danger in such a system Is th a t the adm inistration a t the n atio n al le v e l can become so impersonal and o v er-d ilig en t th a t human values are sa c rific e d to ru les m 3 regulations and efficien cy . The so lu tion would be to delegate auth o rity more commensurate with the re sp o n sib ility of the superinten­ dents fo r ttany agency thus exercising aueh disembodied au­ th o rity must w rite 'regulations* d e ta ile d enough to prevent m istakes and abuses of d is c re tio n .rt? The one weakness of the 7U lie n th a l, 0. B ., I B Democracy m SB&. lEiSb. P. 190.

293 whole system seems to he I ts slig h t regard fo r the worth and in te g rity of an Individual, The pupil cannot question a teacher with impunity, the teacher cannot d iffe r with his superintendent except a t his own risk., and superintendents are e ith e r aggressive or passive \"yes-men11 to the head of the educational system, Hobo&y w ill admit that the govern­ ment of the country is not democratic. Then the only ex­ planation fo r the tinges of authoritarianism In the eyetern is the misuse or poor understanding of the democratic prin­ ciples* I f the fillp ln o s are to be educated in a democracy and for a democracy, ce rtain fundamental things have to be recognised: 1. Democracy does not spring full-grown, lik e Athena from Zeus1 brow a t a thought, but I t grows a t a slow pace, through the p articipation of a l l in a c tiv itie s that concern the®, 2* Solutions to problems cm be evolved from the study, discusaion, and thinking of the whole group to the sat­ isfa ctio n of the members* 3* Holding diam etrically opposed views m a subject should not b e’interpreted to mean personal enmity fo r the other person, 4# Preserve the democratic process even i f the re su lts are sometimes wrong* Exceptions w ill be to lerated only in rare oases when the outcomes are too important, for ex­ ample, people would not be allowed to vote not to have schools,® 5, B eliefs In and d efin itio n s of democracy are meaningless I f not stated In terms of the day-to-day adm inistration ®froro discussions with hr, Holmste&t*

294 of education. 6, Heepeot fo r the dignity of the Individual demands th at teacher p erso n alItiea should no ©ore fee v io lated through undemocratic processes %hm ch ild p erso n a lities.

£95 CHAPTER XIII A HEW EmiCAtlOML DESIGN The basic problem for P hilippine education raised by the ap p raisal of the educational system Is the p ra c tic a l one of what d ire c tio n s education should follow to f i t into the democratic p attern of living* vrh&t workable and promising design can be d elin eated go th a t the public school system sh all be able to make the b eat I n .education av ailab le to every ch ild on equal ten asf How can education be more meaningful In the perpetuation of so c ia l re construct lout In the iserds of Dewey, who since 1905 has been urging g re a te r democracy in the ad­ m in istra tio n of American schools: what Is needed, is not any radical revolution but ra th e r an organisation of the agencies already found in the schools# * * # All th at Is required is to g ath er those m aterials and forces together and unify th e ir operation. ^ The changing P hilippine scene demands leadership from the schools In promoting community''.participation in a ffa irs \\ of the school; there Is needfo r people tobe aware th a t they have a v i t a l in te re s t in the a c t i v i t i e s of the school#The solution to the question of democratizing the educational system In th e country seems to be in the d irectio n of a par­ t i a l d e c e n tra liz a tio n of the system, by increasing the range 1.Dewey, John, “Democracy in A d m in istratio n / The g le - jum tara M m X Xm®M £ £7*105, 1905#

296 of professional control In education* and by securing g re a te r p a rtic ip a tio n of a l l responsible citizen s of the community in planning and supporting education. These objectives are In terlocking and In te rre la te d . They must be striv e n fo r s i ­ multaneously I f a forward stop i s to foe taken* fo r one or the other cannot be l e f t unaccomplished without jeopardizing the development of democracy in the educational undertaking. Decentralization of Control The modifications of the present educational stru c tu re refer to the Issues o f a u th o rity and control* The high cob- centratlon of au th o rity and discretionary power over the edu­ catio n al system a t the n atio n al le v e l needs to be s h a r e d a t the lo cal level* A democratic s ta te Is democratic to the degree that the w ill of the people can foe expressed and th a t channels fo r expression are provided. This being the case* lay co n tro l of public education must b© clea rly lodged and localized I f the schools are to provide opportunities for the optimum development of the children and ad u lts in the community, functions Jhe SiiiM le v e l. The control and sup­ port of education in the Philippines is vested in the le g is­ la tu re which has delegated authority and control .of the pub­ l i c schools to the Bureau of Public Schools. Otner educa­ tio n a l ad m inistrative units are the school divisions, ancr

19? school district® , but authority for final action is not delegated to these lo cal u n its, Although the actu al oper­ atio n of the schools In the fie ld is the re sp o n sib ility of the school d iv isio n s, au th o rity fo r fin a l judgment and de­ cisio n s Is absent, and fin a l actions are suspended u n til ap­ proval fro® the General Office is received* I t would see® th a t the f i r s t step to democratize the educational system can be taken without need of any rad i­ cal reorganization by a llo c a tin g a g re a te r degree of responsi­ b i l i t y and au th o rity to the school div isio n s and lo cal com­ munities* The adm inistrative o f f ic ia ls in the provinces should be granted au th o rity end re sp o n sib ility fo r the oper­ ation of the schools w ithin the lim its of broad policies* The unnecessary *red tap©** characteristic of b ureaucratic or­ g an isatio n s can be snipped by lessening or eliminating the number o f occasions of securing approval from higher author­ i t ie s regarding business for which p o licies have been estab­ lished* This means th a t lo cal a u th o ritie s answer questions involving established policy without need of clearing th e ir decisions through the le v e ls of au th o rity above them* From the standpoint of economy, ©as© of admlnistr&r tlo n , o r of eq u a lity of opportunity, the attainm ent of some;, of the o b jectiv es of education can b e st be adm inistered by '-\\ the c e n tra l au th o rity . The delegation of powers to the school divisions for the routine operation of schools

releases the m isdirected attention of the General Office force fro© routine and c le r ic a l m atters to more urgent problems o f the educational system* Problems of n ational concern such as determining national educational p o licies, thb language of instruction, financial support, determining the state foundation program, formulating the m ultiple- se le c tio n l i s t o f approved, textbooks, and the c e rtif ic a tio n o f teacher a are among those th a t f a l l w ithin the purview of the c e n tra l au th o rities* Problems th a t have long vexed education in the country demand creative thinking and edu­ ca tio n al statesmanship* Equality of opportunity 1® not a f a c t, i t Is yet an Id eal fa r from achieved* ‘‘Tays m d means for the re alisa tio n of equality of educational opportunity are Interrelated with the quality of education offered in the schools* This im plies research, experim entation, and leadership* As such, a prime function of the national edu­ catio n al au th o rity should ha to provide leadership and d i­ rection is the better organisation and administration of lo c a l school systems, in determining the purposes of edu­ cation in Philippine democracy and in formulating broad p o lic ie s which w ill b est Implement the educational mandate in the Constitution* m x t to i t s leadership function, the central author­ i t y has to render competent consultative and advisory se r­ v ices to secure e ffe c tiv e administration of th© schools and strengthen lo ca l control* The role of the Instructional

£99 and curriculum supervisors of the Bureau of Public Schools should be in terms of service to the schools ra th e r than the exercise of power over lo c a l program development* Energies 'V of the c e n tra l a u th o ritie s w ill be directed toward the .his* ; i. ©every of new needs of the educational system through sur­ veys , research and experim entation, community stu d ies,/an d d ire c t observation, which w ill re s u lt In an educational program b e t t e r designed fo r the Individual needs of the pu­ pils* The m ultitudinous ru les and regulations of the Bureau o f Public Schools are the concomitants of i t s highly cen­ tr a lis e d character* Authority la so remote, from the f ie ld of operation th a t in stru c tio n s have to be d e ta ile d to prevent mistakes f v m a not-v ery -h ig h ly -o u alifled fie ld force. With the implementation of democratic ad m in istratio n , much -of the v a lid ity of the ru les and regulations w ill be^cancelled* Legal re s tric tio n s in every profession and every nation have been deemed necessary fo r order and safety* improper o r undue re strictio n ® imposed by an outside force suppresses the in d iv id u a lity of persons* I f the democratic pr&oea$es r\\ function properly, the various groups themselves w ill rebbg- n iz e the need of r e s t r a i n ts , but w ith th is difference-* they-, w ill be self-im posed, The classroom teacher in the P h ilip ­ pines is so co n tro lled by r e s tr ic tio n s th at i n itia tiv e and creativ en ess are hindered. The Bureau*a ru les and regulations

500 w ill b ear looking into* They need to be studied* revised, end sim p lified to give those in the fie ld —superintendents, p r in c ip a ls , teach ers, and pupils—freedom to experiment, to p lan , and to p a rtic ip a te 1b school m atters which, a f te r a l l , concern them closely* The basic function of adm inistration i® to improve the in s tru c tio n a l program in order to provide each ch ild an adequate education. S tate control®, standards, and admin­ i s t r a t i v e re g u la tio n s, based on research, should be evalu­ ated in t e n s of th e ir contribution to and th e ir to ta l e ffe c t on the kind of education offered in the community. The con­ tr o ls th a t c e n tra l a u th o ritie s should ex ert over the admin­ i s t r a t i o n of the school d iv isio n s, however, should be held a t a minimum* The v&etness of the Philippine educational system, 4 | m illio n children and 80,000 teachers and. other school personnel, demands coordination, which can b est be performed by the c e n tra l au th o rities* Controls fa r co­ ordination w ill have as th e ir main purposes the reduction of confusion and c o n flic ts , of waste of time and e f fo rt, and the coordination of re s u lts . The prudential controls serve to p ro te c t the people1® money from misuse or misman­ agement, to assure the public th at educational appropriations and tax money are w isely husbanded* State co n tro ls serve to .guarantee the operation of the minimum program, to p ro tec t the q u a lity of education from incompetence, and to p ro tec t

501 the b est Interests and welfare of both the pupils and teach* era fro® the abuse of discretionary powers of lo cal admin­ istrators, these are only the negative aspects of control. P ositive central control should so operate to encourage the maximum in local i n itia tiv e and lo cal participation in the schools, In general*, centralisation of control should foe retained In areas such ast (1) determination of the general educational design fo r the Philippines; (2) adequate support of a minimum educational program; (3) a degree of prudential and supervisory regulation to guarantee the minimum equality of opportunity; {4} leadership, coordination, and assistance to the local school adm inistration. U m iXQ M , A& iM l£ 8 & I m X ' ^e & ta r authority and responsibility for the actual management of the schools in the local communities should be delegated to the local ad­ m in istrativ e u n its , Among the functions that should foe del­ egated to meet the demands of the principles of democracy, a d a p ta b ility , and effectiv en ess, are; (1) I n itia tin g , pre­ paring, and administering the budget, (2) selectin g f pur­ chasing, and d is trib u tin g school supplies and equipment, (3) planning and constructing school buildings, (4) super­ vising the maintenance end operation of school p lan ts, (5) the se le c tio n , appointment, and compensation of teachers, {6} the adm inistration of personnel welfare and growth, (7) developing the curriculum, {8} deciding pupil questions of

promotion* tu itio n , and d iscip lin e , and (9) in terpreting and enforcing the minimum requirements mandated by the Con­ s titu tio n , the statutory provision®, or state regulations* In order to o ffe r an adequate education, the educa­ tio n a l program should be adapted to the community the school serves* therefore, such functions as preparing the local budget, h irin g the teacher®, and developing the curriculum should be determined a t the local le v e l. The lo cal budget i s the b lu ep rin t of the community1s educational program* I t reflects what the people want fo r th e ir children and what they have found useful or tra d itio n a lly acceptable by the community* fo r th is reason, the budget should not be ad­ m inistered by remote control from the national offices but should be kept close to the people* The same ©an be said of curriculum development* the s ta te , through the minimum pro­ gram, mandates the educational program of the schools. How­ ever, these a re , a f te r a l l , minimum requirements* The lo cal u n its should provide opportunities over and above the s t a t e 1® requirements* These opportunities should be developed in \\ terms of the needs, experience, and environment of the children of the community. w ith decentralisation of the system should come co­ operative development of the general program of the school and an increasing freedom to organise and coox’&inatc in stru c­ tio n . The p attern of handing down to the f ie ld force

ready-made curricula, courses of study, and manuals and workbooks th at are required to be followed, should gradually give way to the lo cal development of the curriculum con­ s is te n t with the national objectives of education* The cur­ ric u la r m aterials developed in the (Jeneral Office as e re­ s u lt of research should have the statu s of guides or models fo r lo cal e f fo r ts , Two things have to be done by the teachers In order to be disposed toward p a rticip atio n in program de­ velopment: f ir s t , to grow out of the a ttitu d e of obsequious­ ness and subservience to ‘the General O ffice, and, second, to develop a questioning and evaluating outlook with regard to the f e a s ib ility and appropriateness of recommended mate­ ria ls and procedures fo r the local situ atio n . The UNESCO Consultative Educational Mission says: * * , i t is suggested th at the qualified teacher be given la titu d e in adjusting the schedule so that some periods could be lengthened or two class periods with closely re la te d subject; m atter could be c o m b i n e d * 2 The teachers should be given discretion in choosing techniques of teaching, in selecting and u tilis in g a wealth of community resources, and they should be unhampered in th e ir assumption of freedom to experiment to meet the vary­ ing demands of tine Job* The administrators should provide 2Beeves, F. v/#, chairman, UNESCO* Report of the y if- MlM 3& iM p* &4 6 *

the situation® so th a t p a rtic ip a tio n In program development w ill not be Just another load m the overly-burdened F ili­ pino teacher. The curriculum expert® and. subject special­ ist® of the Bureau of 'Public Schools w ill not be put in dis­ card in such an operational organisation. On the other hand, there w ill be a g re a te r demand fo r the*, to help the lo cal schools to. adapt th e ir c u rric u la r offering® to the very heterogenous character of Philippine communities. I t is much e a s ie r to prepare one uniform curriculum than to help 00 d iffe re n t provinces develop in d iv id u a listic curricula which make f u ll us® of local material® and resource®. The lo c a l board® ,&f education are the leg al mem® by which lay control of education is assured* Jin important step needed, therefor®* in decentr a i l s ing the educational system Is the re su sc ita tio n of the lo cal school board® which were inactivated by the Educational Act of 1940. However, le g isla tiv e action Is required to estab lish stronger boards of education than those provided fo r in the statutes. These boards should be wad® cuael-XeglslattYe agencies of the state* vested with leg al power® to tm fo r school purpose® and with power® to determine p o licies for the operation of the schools In the communities. Following the general practice in the United States of keeping the control of education close to the people, the board members should be elected by the people their

505 action® should he subject to review a t the polls* To insure continuity of p o licies, those elected should hold overlapping term® of office* Thus the local board members represent the ■ lo cal communities and th e ir in te re sts although they have the status of state official®. The function of the board of education is primarily th at of policy-making* I t Is a le g isla tiv e body through which the needs of the community are interpreted, in order to meet these needs, i t is the board*® responsibility to raise the takes to buy, i f feasib le, a b etter education than that provided by the s ta t e 's minimum program. The board de­ termines how much money Is needed, how to provide for the schools, and how to expend the money to support a good edu­ cational program adapted to the local community. Interpre­ tation of the schools to the community and keeping the people informed about the education th e ir money buys are important functions which have to be s k illf u lly undertaken i f the pub­ l ic in te re s t in the schools is to be maintained and preserved and the development of a g reater sense of responsibility for the support of education toy the community is to resu lt. In the Philippines, the implementation of the local boards o f education i® imperative, not only to aid in re­ solving the financial situ atio n of the schools, but because the board® are the legal mean® of securing lay control of education. In order th at education w ill to® adapted to the

506 needs of the people and the community, i t Is needful that lay people develop a sense of resp o n sib ility fo r i t s direc­ tion. The superintendent jj£ ^.cho-qi.s holds a key position th a t can im portantly influence the decentralization of the educational system, while the p o licies affecting the local schools may be determined by the lo cal board, the board1® f ie ld of action does not include the d etailed management and admin 1 st ratio n of the schools. The resp o n sib ility fo r operating the schools w ith power to ac t on m atters of es­ tab lish ed p o lic ie s should belong to the superintendent. Hi® Important functions are to adm inister the schools, coordinate the educational program, execute the policies both of the cen tral government and of the lo cal board, evaluate the pro­ grams, and provide leadership in school and in the community* within the framework o f delegated au th o rity , the superinten­ dent should be the fin a l point of authority in the province on adm inistrative matters# although the superintendent in turn may delegate a u th o rity and re sp o n sib ility for the plnutlae of the adm inistration of the individual schools to the principals* The superintendent In the Philippines is- a represen­ ta tiv e of the Bureau o f Public Schools a p p o in te d to office by the Secretary of Education upon recommendation of the Di­ re c to r of Public Schools. According to Commonwealth Act Ho.

1??# he is a c iv il service employee, k superintendent in the United State® is selec te d and employed by the local board# The superintendent is answerable and responsible to the board fo r the operation of the schools, Authority com­ mensurate w ith the resp o n sib ility fo r the schools is dele* gated toy the American lo c a l board to the superintendent# Authority and re sp o n sib ility of the F ilipino superintendent for the adm inistration of the schools, i f decentralized, w ill toe delegated to him toy the D irector of Public Schools. The re activ atio n of the lo c a l tooards in the P hilip­ pines and vesting them with powers such m those exercised by American boards of education poses the question, there­ fo re , of the re la tio n sh ip between the local boards and the superintendent* The superintendent represents the in te re sts of the n ational government, while the local board represents the people of the community. Both are Important, and, fo r the b est In te re s t of the F ilipino ch ild ren , the two e n titie s should be coordinate. The success of the schools in pro­ viding fo r a good educational program w ill toe in proportion to the s p i r i t of cooperation between the superintendent and the lo cal boards of education. The superintendent should provide the boards with fact® about the condition of the school® and the fin an c ia l needs or make recommendation® of p o lic ie s fo r board action* On the other hand, the solution to the fin a n c ia l problem® of the school and the duality of

oOb education are decided fey the lo c a l boards* The ac t! 0110 of both should be the product of conferences characterised by mutual respect and an understanding of the purpose© of the educational enterprise* I t should be the re s u lt of the op­ timum u tiliz a tio n of both lay and professional ideas and thinking* According to American p ra c tic e , the lo cal boards should se le c t the superintendent who w ill be held accountable to the board* According to another theory advanced, the exercise of control can be divorced from the source of fin an cial sup­ port* N evertheless, In actu al p ra c tic e , some degree of con­ tr o l always goes w ith su p p o rt,s Hence, the elim ination of the selectio n of the superintendent by the board of educa­ tion may not g reatly complicate the p eopled control over education m long as the people decide the p o licies and con­ tr o l the purse strings* what c o n stitu te s the hub of the problem is th a t both the lo cal board of education and the superintendent should not operate to the detriment of the school, p rin cip al holds a s tra te g ic position In the ad­ m in istratio n of the schools since he heads an adm inistrative u n it through which the community comes In contact with the schools* fhe p rin cip al comes in close association with the ^Discussions with Dr. Kolmate&t*

509 parents and other people Irs the community; lie le mad® re­ sponsible fo r the administration and supervision of the in­ dividual school*8 program; he executes the p o licies of the administration; and* as a whole* hie Is the responsibility of maintaining a good, orderly school characterised by co­ operation and high morale* fo r the effectiv e accomplishment of the responsibil­ i t ie s assigned to him, the principal should be delegated greater authority on matters pertaining to his own school* To accomplish th is , and to further decentralise the educa­ tio n al system is the Philippines, the individual schools should be made semi-autonomous u n its * This Implies that the principal has the fu ll direction of the school fo r instruc­ tio n al leadership to advance the general program as defined by p o licies established* This fu rth er means that the indi­ vidual schools w ill be allocated budget funds fo r books, In stru ctio n al m aterials and other school supplies* The s ta ff should study the needs of the school and recommend purchases* The p rin c ip a l, exercising general and prudential controls, should have the resp o n sib ility for fin al action. The control of budgeting allowances and revolving funds thus enables the individual school to re a lly adapt I ts program to the needs of its students* The principal should, however, in a ll his actions, be in accord with the educational policies* The principal

<->10 should he a member of the superintendent *s cabinet or ad­ visory council where proposed p o licies and © listing proced­ ures are discussed and appraised in the lig h t of b e tte r op­ p o rtu n itie s fo r the children and the community. The super­ intendent is s t i l l the chief adm inistrative o fficer in the local system* Teacher participation in the adm inistration of school® is m effectiv e means of decentralizing control. Extending the breadth of the assumption of authority and responsibility to larg er groups of people through le g isla tio n or adminis­ trative f i a t is Important to the attainment of a democratic adm inistration of schools; i t guarantees a minimum of democ­ racy In the system, However, the ultim ate success of democ­ ratizin g the schools is dependent on the way people who work together accomplish th e ir undertakings* The superintendent holds the key to- fu ll democratic p a rticip atio n , fo r m ad­ m inistrator may properly be within the law and his authority and yet be au tocratic. In Infusing democracy Into the ad­ m inistration of schools, ndemocracy is more a method of work than a form of organization, more a question of how authority la applied than where i t re sid e s.\"4 The administrator., th erefo re, should u tiliz e to the g re atest degree p articip atio n of those concerned in the 43oars, J , B ,, Cltv School ftdalnlstratlve Contro l!i p, v iii.

o il adm inistration ©f the schools. To be re a lly democratic* p a rtic ip a tio n sh ell be determined by the m utuality of in­ te r e s ts , a b i l i t i e s of p a rtic ip a tin g members, and the capacity of the members fo r p a rtic ip a tio n , Democratic concepts such as enhancing individual worth and respect for personality and in te g rity should be the actuating purposes behind actions and decisions reached by the group, P articip atio n in the shaping of educational plans should be a pooling of ideas* free discussions, and concensus in action* To insure the democratic process, agencies fo r p a rti­ cipation and channels of communication should be organized# Teacher committees on d e fin ite areas to study and make recom­ mendations should a s s is t in the operation of the schools. Membership of each committee may be decided by election by the teachers or appointment by the superintendent# In some committees the p rin cip al should be a member, although his opinions and pronouncements should not carry the might of authority* I t should have the same standing as the sug­ gestions of the teacher members of the committee* subject to discussion and evaluation, with the present level of training of the teachers in the country, one of the g re a te st needs la the in-service train in g of teachers. Any program of decentralisation with­ out a ponderable increase in the q u ality of teachers in ser­ vice w ill produce a predicament nothing short of a muddle

312 and confusion* Hackneyed as the expression I s , nevertheless, I t s t i l l is a truism th at schools w ill ris e no higher than the c a lib e r and sta tu re of th e ir teachers, Ko matter how painstakingly the p arts of a house are b u i l t , i f i t is founded on sand, i t does not ju s tif y the money and sweat and love put in to it* The question o f b e tte r trained teachers must be answered in concert with the questions of finance— there is no a n te rio rity between the two, (food schools need to be adequately financed, and good schools need professionally trained and adequately paid teachers. The 40-60 per cent ra tio of trained and unqualified teaching force tip s the balance on the wrong end, The re­ h a b ilita tio n of the educational program of the system should s ta r t with the re h a b ilita tio n of the teaching profession through the pre-service and in-service education of teachers. The mere provision o f machinery fo r decentralization is with­ out gain i f constructive usage is not made of I t , The cur­ ric u la r offerings of teachexwtraining in stitu tio n s have to be re-examined and modernized so th at the incoming teachers w ill be given special train in g in curriculum development and child development. Actual selection and organization of lo­ cal resources into instructional m aterials for the enrichment of teaching are s k ills th at must be taught In order to equip the future teachers with basic knowledge and proficiency to p a rtic ip a te in program-development.

3X3 In-service education of teachers Is not only for the untrained. In the f i r s t place, education do®s not terminate Upon graduation from college, and* in the second place, a conscientious and e ffe c tiv e teacher cannot afford to remain S ta tic in a fast-changing environment. Hew knowledge of teaching, of democratic educational concepts, of experimenta­ tio n are continually adding new methods, techniques, and Ideas In the teaching profession, Therefore, fo r both the trained and the untrained, in-service training is necessary. If a teacher i s to p a rtic ip a te in te llig e n tly in de­ termining the educational program, I f he is re a lly to edu­ cate o th ers, he cannot specialize too narrowly* Under com­ petent lo cal adm inistrative leadership and with expert con­ su lta n t service fro® the General O ffice, the in-service train in g of teachers must be a workable program that chal­ lenges the d iv e rsifie d in te re s ts and a b ilitie s of the teach­ ers. People learn b e st when engaged in doing what is of g re a te st In te re s t to them individually. In addition, learn­ ing Is not only doing, but I t re su lts from a. c r i t i c a l analy­ s is , organization, and generalization of experience. There­ fo re , the in -serv ice programs should not be administrator* dominatedj the major ro le fo r growth end development in ser­ vice should be the re sp o n sib ility of the teachers* p a rtic ­ u la rly of teacher committees on In-service train in g .

Another Important teacher c o m m it t e e that should be organized Is the c u r r i c u l u m committee. Democracy, a d a p t a ­ b i l i t y , and effectiveness in e d u c a t i o n a l adm inistration w ill not be implemented unless the content a n d method of curricu­ lu m are decided in part a t the local level. Teacher curric­ ulum committees should Involve themselves in studying tex t­ book© to recommend fo r selection or adoption, to present needed revision In. courses of study and Instructional mate­ rial©* and to develop new programs t h a t w ill draw together and u t i l i s e the resources of the community the school serves and thus b e tte r meet t h e needs of children and youth* The In stru ctio n al program formulated should be the' re su lt of s h a r i n g and the cooperative action-of the s ta ff . while teacher participation In curriculum revision and development is sought to democratically produce adaptable educational programs, p articip atio n 1b curriculum building should be encouraged because i t contributes to teacher4 growth in service* According to Smith, Stanley, and Shores: 1, the curriculum w ill be improved only as the pro­ fessional competence of the teachers improves. 2, The competence of the teachers w ill be improved only as the teachers become Involved personally In the problems of curriculum revision, 3 , I f teachers share I n shaping tbs goals to be at­ tained* In selecting* defining, and solving the problems to be encountered, and in judging and evaluating the result®, th e ir Involvement w ill be most nearly assured.

31© 4* As people meat in face*to-face groups, they w ill be able to under*tend om another b e tte r and to reach a consensus on basic p rin cip les, goals, and plans *» The same can be said of p articip atio n in other areas of school administration* The functioning of a school im­ proves as the personnel grows in competence, and they grow in competence and power w ith more and more p articip atio n in widening areas* A® teachers gain proficiency in program de­ velopment, the responsibility of the superintendent for the adm inistration of personnel w elfare, growth, and discipline* the responsibility to plan school fa cilities* the selection of personnel; the formulating of salary schedules, etc*, should be shared with the teaching force* P articip atio n in policy making should be one of the more Important re sp o n sib ilitie s of the faculty* The teachers may e le c t a policy committee to work with the adm inistration in policy formation or the en tire faculty may p articip ate di­ rectly* Any device used is not so Important as the fact th at p o licies th a t are fin a lly recommended to the lo cal board have been subject to the deliberation and frank discussion of the teaching body and fully accepted by it* The only lim itatio n of p a rticip atio n in policy formation w ill be the laws th a t demand ce rtain obligations to be accomplished by &Smith, B* 0*2 Stanley, w* 0*; and shores, 1* H., Btmaaneatala o£ Cugr.loulun lievelopaeiij,, p. 264.

316 the ad m inistration, Free and f u ll p a rtic ip a tio n should be had in areas l e f t to the discretion of the adm inistration. P a rtic ip a tio n in the various committees by the teach­ ing s ta f f obtains a widening of professional a c tiv ity in the a & ln ls t ration* p a rtic u la rly in the individual schools. To further enlarge the base of deliberations to include repre­ sen tativ es of the whole professional force, a superintendent's advisory council should be formed. Membership of this coun­ c i l should he representative of the v e rtic a l and horizontal dimensions of the adm inistrators w ith delegated powers as w ell a® the teaching force In order to g et as many divergent points of view as possible, Teachers should form the major­ ity o f the council to obviate the danger of the council be­ coming adm inistrate ru m in a te d , This council, working clo sely with the superintendent, w ill deal principally with adminis­ tra tiv e m atters re la tin g to the whole school system under the ju ris d ic tio n of the superintendent and should discuss and evaluate the p o licies recommended by the local school com­ m ittees to the superintendent. The body d elib erates on ways of resolving disagreements on educational Issu es, on improv­ ing the effectiv en ess of adm inistrative d u ties, and on broad­ ening the scope of a c tiv itie s to Include the school community. \\ The superintendent's advisory council w ill not assume the re sp o n sib ility of making decisions. Policies and adm inistra­ tiv e m atters are su b m i tt e d to th is body fo r study and

317 recommendation, but the fin a l authority should re st with the superintendent. -ffaail p a rtic ip a tio n must be provided fo r. i f there Is to he democratization of the educational system, the process must be ca rrie d a ll the way through, clear down the line# p a rtic ip a tio n a t the student*s lev el means p articipation in school a f fa irs according to th e ir maturity and c a p ab ilities. At present# there are numerous student organisations in the schools, but they are larg ely f u tile because of the Inane, uimeaningful a ffa irs d ea lt with. There are student govern­ ments In name only* The re sp o n sib ilitie s for planning and making fin a l decisions on student a ffa irs are not lodged with the students# In classroom situ a tio n s, education is a mat­ te r of passive receptivity* The school must be made a soci­ ety w ith a community of in te re s ts , cooperating and sharing# Pupils should be given actual experiences in determining the purposes of the lessons* of suggesting ways to accomplish tasks, and working together to. achieve the common ends. Democracy cannot be attained by granting only to the superintendent g reater powers of discretion. Principals# teachers, and pupils must be given la titu d e for particip atio n in the determination of purposes and in working out problems cooperatively and democratically. Certain considerations should toe taken w ith the use of the democratic process s <1) people are Important, and, therefore, there should be mutual

318 respect fo r personal In te g rity and individual worth} {2} begin p articip atio n with those' in te re sts nearest the per- eonej (3) minimum standards have to be recognized; (4) in­ troduce p articip atio n gradually while the participants are learning the techniques of cooperative planning and action} and (5) democratic leadership should be exercised to co­ ordinate the various Intersecting groups* the Role of the organized Teaching Profession A teach er, alo n e, la woefully vulnerable* His c iv il s ta tu s , p o litic a l a f f i l i a t i o n , r e lig io n , profs® atonal, quali­ fic a tio n s , and work, even M i p riv a te l i f e , sr© subject to much discussion by the public* Apparently the oomrsunlty and the adm inistration essum* proprietary rig h ts not only over the teacher as such b ut also over the teacher aa a person when his serv ices are employed* k teacher without strong support behind him becomes a straw in the wind* .in effectiv e educational program requires the strengthening of a teacher1a position w ithin the adm inistration and in the community. Vig­ orous and robust leadership within the profession is esse n tia l fo r the growth of a strong teaching profession which w ill be the source of assistan ce and encouragement to the individual teacher. wider teacher p a rtic ip a tio n in adm inistration cm be secured through professional organizations at the national

and lo cal level®* At the local scene, th© superintendent should provide in hie organizational structure a channel for the profession®! organization and in v ite the Teacher1s As­ sociation to appoint members who w ill work on problems of common in terest* Such committees as the Teacher1s Salary Committee, personnel P olicies Committee, and Teacher1s Con­ ference Committee should be organized by the Teacher's As­ sociation to consult and work In cooperation with the super­ intendent* The committees may consult with the superinten­ dent on th e ir own in itia tiv e or a t the request of the admin­ istrator* Th® Teacher1® Salary Committee should etucly matter® pertain in g to improving salaries of teachers such as determining the application of th© salary schedule or prob­ lems of salary adjustment* The Personnel Policies Committee may consider such problems as tenure, retirem ent, the over­ a ll needs fo r in stru ctio n al personnel, and teacher moral©* The Teach©rf s Conference Committee may make recommendations with regard to general educational planning and administra­ tion* Much can be accomplished by the Teacher*e Association by working with the superintendent. S t il l g reater gains can be consolidated when the Association works independently of the administration* The Association should have a Personnel Welfare Committee whose main functions w ill be concerned wit? public re la tio n s of teachers and the security problems of personnel. The teacher a t work or the teacher out of school

320 Is invariably beset by co n flicts with fellow teachers, with th© admin is t r a t ton, with the parent, or with the public. The Personnel welfare Committee should b© a ae&ns by which problems can be faced and solved, less putting the teacher concerned In Jeopardy or In an unfavorable light* Although independent of the o ffice of the superintendent, the Teach- qv*$ Association should coordinate it s work with the admin­ istration by consulting the superintendent on policies and procedures. The newly organized Philippine Public School Teacher*s Association 1$ m implement through which participation at th© top lev els of adm inistration can be effected. P a rtic i­ pation esp ecially should be concerned with national policies concerning education and in supporting programs on a national scope to Improve education. The Philippine Public School Teacher1s Association, fu rth e r, should conduct extensive research and publish the re su lts discovered, to provide the much needed data on which to base the proposed improvements in th© educational pro­ gram, the f a c i li t i e s needed fo r th at program, and the support that w ill be necessary. Through courageous leadership, co­ operation, and moral support, the association of 80,000 teach­ ers could bring about a more democratic administration fo r the improvement of public education and a b etterin g of th© standards and conditions to promote a more effectiv e teaching

SSI force. The standards of c e rtific a tio n of the teachers should he i t s concern. the Association should assume the responsi­ b i l i t y to decide what the q u alificatio n s of the teaching force should he. The strength of the Teacher1s Association should be thrown in the area of educational le g is la tio n fo r b e tte r s a la r ie s # fo r b e tte r school buildings and b e tte r schools* The Hole of the School In the Community nApart fr o m society th© school has n e ith e r end nor al®#w has been wisely o b s e r v e d * The school has always been society*a Instrument for the induction of youth into the ways of the community? I t has been the mom® to transm it and improve the c u ltu ral heritage* and I t has been the lev er to raise the standard of living* The school is a community force# and# therefore# i t cannot ignore the l i f e of th® com- sunityj The school and communl ty are Interwoven by mutual In te re sts and human r e l a t i o n s h i p s * Xet# fo r a long t i m e # \\■ the Philippine schools have lo s t sig h t of th e ir purpose In ’\\ society. In the Philippines# classrooms were boofcraefttered, d iscip lin e authoritarian# and in terested o itise n s were, “nosey* Intruders. The problems th at followed in the wahe of the w ar.re-. Xv •, \"•')-V veaied the deficiencies of the subject-centered schoo'irr-to meet the demands of & modem# democratic# anct Independent

existence. I f th© schools are to Influence th© social en­ vironment and the Individuals th a t dwell therein# they must reach out in to the community or draw the community into the school to work In conjunction one with the other for the f u lle s t growth of the individual and fo r the enrichment of community liv in g . Manstlac, a prominent educator in th© Philippines# admonishess * . . l e t us take a le a f from our experience . ♦ , We have long since found out that although we teach In school a l l the health p rinciples th a t we know of# unless the horn© and the community are disposed to cooperate# th© ch ild remains as unhygienic as he was In th© beginning. S Thus a rise s the need of the new school# which re fle c ts . the needs of the community such th a t the long breach between the school a n d i t s community w ill be slowly obliterated* The qpm m nlty school. Three m m o m m n be given fo r turning the schools In the Philippines Into community schoolsj (1) the iso la tio n of the school from the life # a c tiv itie s , and thought of i t s society has to be bridged; {2} the school* community relatio n s have to be Improved and strengthened; and (5) decentralization of control w ill place the school in th© hands of th© people. The community school has been de­ fined as on@ which adapts ita educational program to the %«tnalaC| C~. H* # **Education fo r peace and Internation­ a l Understanding#*' ichool 66*359, November, 1947.

323 people of the community and th e ir sp ecial problems 1b o r­ der th a t th o u g h education the economic and so c ia l lev el w ill be improved fo r b e tte r democratic living* The need of community schools is urgent in the P hil­ ippines# The economic displacement of the people and the low economic lev el of the country can be a ttrib u te d to the fa c t th a t th® schools were not adapted to fill the needs of the F ilip in o people, There was a need for a common language, and the schools d id f a ir ly w ell in meeting the problem* There was a need fo r tra in in g the F ilip in o s fo r a democratic form of government| and th© schools did an even more excel­ le n t job th ere. But the Philippines Is b a s ic a lly an ag ri­ c u ltu ra l country* yet the overwhelming m ajority of public schools, u n til recen tly , have been of the academic type. The a c ti v i t i e s of the school were too in te lle c tu a l fo r the n o W v e ry -lite rate people. I t was not long before the peo­ ple them selves, on occasions when they were ashed to p a r ti­ c ip a te , would refuse to %©&dler* with school a f f a ir s j school® were considered the business of the educators, £ny undertaking must know the d irectio n i t Is going; i t must have guides fo r i t s actions. The p rin c ip le s fo r community schools which have been formulated by many writer® ax® summarised thusj^ ................................ r m ^f 11— Wf r w' i wi i m n r i m f w w — p w a m n - m u i r m . n ..,..-i.M ..ii.n in .u u u i.- i m ...................................... .................. ?01sen, S. 0 ., and o th ers, School *£& i&smfiiM* P- 11; Smith, Stanley, and Shores, £fi. £!£•» PP* 534-535.

324 1* Tht ©ducation&l program la expressly intended to meet the ln te r e s ts f needs, and problems of the people of a p a rtic u la r community* 2* Th© community processes, a c tiv itie s , and problems con­ s titu te th© m m of the curriculum through which educa­ tive experiences are had. 3* Adults wort cooperatively with children and youth on group projects of mutual concern. 4. Leadership for in itia tin g , planning, executing coopera­ tive p rojects fo r community improvement and b e tte r living comes from the school# 5. Th© school community is democratic In organisation and in operating i t s a c tiv itie s both in school and In th© community. The application of these p rin cip les to develop b e tte r school-community re la tio n s and to in itia te the community schools requires changes in the educational program, In or­ der to have community schools, the f i r s t step would certainly not be to l e t loose th© children and teachers on th© com­ munity. Careful planning and mapped campaigns to pre-dlspos© th© community mind to a community school is re q u isite fo r fu ll support of the program. Sine© a community school is a model democratic society, the beginnings fo r the community school can be mad© by improving the in tern al relatio n sh ip s, organi­ sation, and operation of the local school along democratic principles. A ctiv ities should be cooperatively planned and accomplished* Human relationships should be characterised by understanding, sharing, and respect. Educational leadership takes the next steps by pro­ viding the school personnel the assistance needed in

325 u tilis in g the available m aterial resources in the commuxiity fo r the enrichment of the curriculum* The needs and a c tiv i­ ti e s of the community should be used to extend the learnings la school* The teachers should be aided to draw from rural l i f e end ru ral environment for content end processes in the lo cal development of the curriculum* Resources Include people* There Is always some per­ son who can do on© thing b e tte r then others* The schools, esp ecially In the Islan d s, are always In dire need of money to invest In teaching aids to improve the quality of teaching* At the very doorsteps o f the Philippine schools are rich re­ sources of experience th at are free* People, in eluding com­ mon ordinary people, should be drawn into the school to help v ita lis e the educational progmm with th e ir experiences, in­ te llig e n c e , and. understandings* Here w© see the community function in the school* To be tru ly a community school# th© closed doors of the schools should be thrown open to make the schools com­ munity ©enter®* Although usually the school is used as a social center for the ru ra l communities, the citizens should be stim ulated to make use of the school f a c i l i t i e s to promote th e ir c u ltu ra l and vocational education* Again leadership by the school w ill play an important part in coordinating the use of the school by the children and by Hi© community* At th is stage of school-community relationships, the

326 schools can begin to lo o t into the community, not fo r what i t can draw fro© th© community to enrich the educational program, but to search fo r ways of reaching out to meet the problems of the community* School-community relations In­ volve both the school and th© community, hut the professional leadership must emerge from th© schools* The active p a rti­ cipation of “busy* citize n si of in d ifferen t or antagonistic- to -the-school citizens must be won to taka resp o n sib ility for jobs that b e tte r the l i f e of th® people* Projects for the bett©im©nt of th® community should be th© cooperative under­ taking of both the youth and the adults* The homes, the h ealth , the so cial problems, the economic standard of liv ­ ing, the leisu re-tim e a c tiv itie s of the community w ill large­ ly, define the scop® and lim its of the cooperative a c tiv itie s of school and eowmuaity. The prim© undertaking that faces the community school w ill be the Improvement of th© ru ra l li f e in the country* To d ate, i t can be safely asserted th at the ru ral communities are s t i l l in the h an dicraft stage* The •know-how* is simply absent, as evidenced by th© lack of the simple labor-saving devices in the homes* Processes of ex tractin g a liv in g are prim itiv e, and labor power is furnished by & mm *s muscles and his carabao. A propitious action of the Ooveznsent was making ad u lt education a division in the Bureau of Education. If th® schools are to perform th e ir functions, the important

32? aspect of a d u lt education cannot be neglected. The schools should be geared to improve l i f e , p a rtic u la rly In the ru ra l areas, A more in te llig e n t use of the resources by the people themselves would re s u lt In b e tte r liv in g conditions. The P hilippines is blessed w ith f e r t i l e s o il, s li d clim ate, and lu x u rian t vegetation. The problem is to achieve a b e tte r q u ality of a g ric u ltu ra l products and liv esto ck by educating the people in seed se lec tio n , crop ro tatio n , breeding stocks, e t c , , thus improving the d ie t of the people and at the same time increasing the source of family income. Coordinate in importance to improving the economic lev el of the people are the questions of h ealth and sa n ita tio n , Much has been done, but the people and th e ir children must cooperate in keeping th® community san itary and h e a lth fu l. In the p a s t, ad u lt education had always been associated w ith lite r a c y campaigns, w ith 49*9 per cent of the people i l l i t e r a t e , the problem deserves the a tte n tio n i t gets* This problem, to o , cannot be solved, by a handful of adult education workers. The school must take the lead and Join hands with th© community to undertake p ro jects to increase the lite ra c y of th© people. This is imperative in breaking the vicious cycle of low standards: Without lite ra c y , new knowledge and modern methods re su ltin g from research are re la tiv e ly useless} liv in g stan d ards, th ere fo re, stay a t a low level v and income is low* w ithout adequate finances, there be

523 130 adequate schools; without adequate schools, the majority of the people w ill be without opportunity; without opportunity fo r an education, the people remain i l l i t e r a t e , ignorant, and poor* I t Is precisely fo r this reason that the primary pur­ pose of th® schools is to promote b e tte r liv in g in th® com­ munity, and i t is through the community school that it s pur­ pose can be achieved* But since, in & democracy, the people’ s w ill determines the operation of i ts in stitu tio n s, lay par­ tic ip a tio n in the p o lic ie s of the school and In th e ir support must be provided fo r, iM .ra»felQlpa.tlon« notwithstanding the opinions of some professional personnel, the schools belong to the peo­ ple, Through taxes the people pay fo r the school buildings, the salaries of teachers* the operational costs of the school system. In the United S ta te s, the people have an emotional a ttitu d e toward th e ir schools. One hears quit© often the man on the s tr e e t re fer to f,our school,8 \"our team,\" 9our band,\" an a ttitu d e th a t is not found outside of the student body of the schools in the Philippines. Exolanation fo r the American frame of mind with reference to school & can be found in the wide p articip atio n of the citizens of the community in school a f fa irs . The people vote on the money they themselves decide la needed by the school. The school boards are elected by the people. The Internal

329 a f fa irs of the school are carried on jo in tly by the teach­ ing profession and th© community. Id short# the schools are kept close to the people and the people decide what education th e ir children sh all have* The Im plication of th is fo r the Philippines Is to re­ in sta te th© lo cal hoards of education as soon as possible, to give th© controls of public education to the community* How­ ever, I t should not be su ffic ie n t fo r the people ju st to vote on hoard members and relinquish a l l In te re st in the schools a f te r th a t. The public must share in the resp o n sib ility fo r th© effectiv e and democratic management of the schools. The organisation of c ItIs e n s 1 committees should bring the schools clo ser to the people, The membership should be representative of the various groups and in te re s ts of th© community. The superintendents can help promote the develop­ ment of lay leaders through actual study or work on specific problems confronting the schools and th© educational problems of the community. To re a lly enable the people to understand and, hence, act more in te llig e n tly about educational problems, the laymen should he given p articip atio n in m atters pf com­ mon concern such as problems of finance, problem© of adult education, and the eradication of illite r a c y or improving community liv in g . Th® function® of the citizens* committees w ill vary according to the problem confronting them. Or oc­ casion, the committees may ju s t study ways and meansito

350 resolve the situ a tio n ; a t other times the committees may actually have to go in to action* But th e ir most important functions should be to p a rtic ip a te in policy formation and to advise the board of education* the superintendent, and the teacher* Care must be taken th at the committees ere not merely delegated to do routine m atters or do the *carabao\" work, as Filipinos uniquely say it* The c itiz e n s4 committees, besides, have to be in te r ­ ested in what Is going on in th© classroom, the school en­ vironment, the ch aracter of education*, and the quality of the teaching personnel# These fa c ts must be had and under­ stood fo r a re a lly cooperative p a rtic ip a tio n In improving the education of the country* The people must have the data in order th a t support fo r education w ill be adequately provided for# M in the case of the teach er committees and th© super­ in te n d e n t's council, th e purpose of the c itiz e n s 1 committees i s to bring to bear the resources of th© community in the b e tte r adm inistration of the schools* Th© c itiz e n s 4 commit­ tee® are advisory in nature and are independent of the admin­ is tra tiv e organization of the schools# The stru c tu re o f the adm inistration should provide fo r an organization to Include both laymen and the teachers* A s t a r t can be made with the already existing parenWfceaoher a sso cia tio n . The asso ciatio n , being made up of parents and teacher® who arc both in te re ste d in th© welfare of the c h ild ,

can plan a b e tte r educational program. The association deals more s p e c ific a lly with the .problems of the child and the school,, of procedure and p ra c tic e , of diagnosing school and community needs, and of giving the school m aterial as­ sistance and support* hay p a rtic ip a tio n In the conduct of schools a t the national level should also be secured through a nations! or­ ganization composed of the lo cal c itiz e n s 1 committees. The cen tral c itiz e n s1 committee w ill have for I ts main task the creation of an active public in te re s t in the public schools throughout the archipelago. By a vigorous campaign, i t should work to change the public’s mind from regarding the schools as the \"governmentn schools to \"our\" schools. The condition of the public schools should be publicized. I t must be fa c tu a l, accurate, and without apology. Through foreign eyes, the Philippine public school system was seen as sub-standard, characterized by overcrowded cla ssrooms; low professional standards; low s a la rie s; shortageoof bu ildings, equipment, and supplies; and unequal educational opportunity stemming fro® inadequate educational finances. The central c itiz e n s1 committee should jo in forces with the .Philippine Public School Teacher's Association to work with the Department of Education and the Bureau of Pub­ l i c Schools concerning educational policies and educational standards* lo re p a rtic u la rly , i t should be a potent

3.32 instrument fe r Philippine education in matters of legisla­ tio n fo r b e tte r education through a more adequate support of the school system* the Scope and Support of Education Th© education of a Filipino child In the common schools extends over a period of 10 years; six years of elementary education and four years of secondary education* Beyond secondary education* the national Government Ms established the teacher^training in s titu tio n s , consisting of two-year noxroal and technical courses and the four-y@ar teachers colleges, in addition to a s ta te university* The National G-ovemisent supports a l l primary schools, the Intermediate schools except those In chartered c itie s * a ll teacher-training in s titu tio n s , and 'subsidises the State University* The acoo© of education* The weakest Unit in the sys­ tem is elementary education, which offers four years of p ri­ mary and two years of intermediate schooling* But the four years of primary education is deceptive on paper, since th© children atten d only half-day sessions of 180 minutes daily* Undertaken as an economy measure in 1940 in order to admit ©ore children in the primary schools, the six-year elementary program of half-day sessions has proved inadequate but costly In terms of money and national energy* Loosin, s. Filipino J o u rn a lis t, describes the problem: