THE MISEDUCATION OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE by Renato Constantino

Thus from its inception, the ducational system of the Philippines was means of pacifying a people who were defending their newly-won freedom from an invader who had possed as an ally. The education of the Filipino under American sovereignity was an instrument of colonial policy. The Filipino had to be educated as a good colonial. Young minds had to be shaped to conform to American ideas. Indigenous Filipino ideals were slowly eroded in order to remove the last vestiges of resistance. Eduaction served to attract the people to the new masters and at the same time to dilute their nationalism which had just succeded in overthrowing a foreign power. This introduction of the American educationals system was a subtle means of defeating a triumphant nationalism. As Charles Burke Elliot in his bookThe Philippines:

"To most Americans it seemed absurd to propose any other language than English should be used in schools over which their flag floated...Of course such a system of education as the as the Americans contemplated could be successfully only under the direction of American teachers, as the Filipino trachers who had been trained in Spanish methods were ignorant of the English language...Arrangement were promptly made for enlisting a small ary of teachers in the United States. At first they came in companies, but soon in battalions. The transport Thomas was fitted up for their accomodation and in July 1901, it sailed from San Francisco with 600 teachers-a second army of occupation-surely the most remarkable cargo ever carried to an Oriental colony."

The American Vice-governor

The importance of eduaction as a colonial tool was never under-estimated by the Americans. This may be clearly seen in the provision of Jones Act which granted the Filipinos more autonomy. Although the government services were Filipinized, although the Filipinos were being prepared for self-government, the department of eduaction was never entrusted to any Filipino. Americans always headed this department.

Up to 1935, therefore, the head of this department was an American. And when a Filipino took over under the Commonwealth,a new generation of Filipino-Americans had been produced. There was no longer need for American overseers in this field because a captive generation had already come of age, thinking and acting like little Americans.