e opportunity of verifying through the courtesy of
Dr. David P. Barrows, the able General Superintendent of Education, and
his efficient staff. Both the higher schools and the night-schools are
well attended. A special eagerness to learn English is very apparent,
and they acquire the language quickly up to a certain point. In
September, 1903, [284] out of the 934 towns in the Islands, 338 were
supplied with American teachers, the total number of teachers in the
Archipelago being 691 Americans and 2,496 Filipinos. The night-schools
were attended by 8,595 scholars. The percentage of school-children who
frequented the day-schools was as follows: In Manila, 10 per cent.;
in Nueva Vizcaya Province, 77 per cent. (the highest); and in Paragua
Island, 5 per cent. (the lowest). The average attendance throughout the
provinces was 13 per cent. of the total population of school-children.

Education has received the greatest solicitude of the Insular
Government; and Dr. Barrows informed me that at the end of June,
1904, there were 865 American teachers in the Islands (including about
200 female teachers), 4,000 Philippine teachers of both sexes, and a
school attendance throughout the Colony of 227,600 children. For the
youngest children there are now seven kindergarten schools in Manila,
and more applications for admission than can be satisfied.

The _Normal School_, situated in the Manila suburb of Ermita, is a
splendidly-equipped establishment, organized in the year 1901 with
a branch for training Filipinos to become teachers in the public
schools. The buildings are four of those (including the main structure)
which served for the Philippine Exhibition some years ago. They
contain an assembly hall, fourteen class-rooms, two laboratories,
store-rooms, and the principal's office. In the same suburb, close
to the school, there is a dormitory for the accommodation of forty
girl boarders coming from the provinces. The school is open to both
sexes on equal terms, subject to the presentation of a certificate
of character and a preliminary examination to ascertain if they can
understand written and spoken English and intelligibly express their
thoughts in that language. The training covers four years, with the
following syllabus, viz.:--

Algebra.
Arithmetic.
Botany.
Drawing.
English.
General History.
Geography.
Music.
Nature-study.
Philippine History.
Physics.
Physiology and