or,
had no voice in the matter, and was compelled to follow the views of
the priest. Few Spaniards took the trouble to learn native dialects (of
which there are about 30), and only a small percentage of the natives
can speak intelligible Spanish. There is no literature in dialect; the
few odd compositions in Tagalog still extant are wanting in the first
principles of literary style. There were many villages with untrained
teachers who could not speak Spanish; there were other villages with
no schools at all, hence no preparation whatever for municipal life.

If the friars had agreed to the instruction of the townfolk through the
medium of Spanish, as a means to the attainment of higher culture, one
could well have understood their reluctance to teach it to the rural
labourers, because it is obvious to any one who knows the character
of this class that the knowledge of a foreign language would unfit
them for agricultural labour and the lower occupations, and produce
a new social problem. Even this class, however, might have been
mentally improved by elementary books translated into dialect. But,
unfortunately, the friars were altogether opposed to the education
of the masses, whether through dialect or Spanish, in order to hold
them in ignorant subjection to their own will, and the result was
that the majority grew up as untutored as when they were born.

Home discipline and training of manners were ignored, even in
well-to-do families. Children were left without control, and by
excessive indulgence allowed to do just as they pleased; hence they
became ill-behaved and boorish.

Planters of means, and others who could afford it, sent their sons and
daughters to private schools, or to the colleges under the direction
of the priests in Manila, Jaro (Yloilo Province), or Cebu. A few--very
few--sent their sons to study in Europe, or in Hong-Kong.

According to the Budget of 1888 the State contributed to the expense
of Education, in that year, as follows, viz.:--

P. cts.
Schools and Colleges for high-class education in Manila,
including Navigation, Drawing, Painting, Book-keeping,
Languages, History, Arts and Trades, Natural History
Museum and Library and general instruction. 86,450 00
School of Agriculture (including 10 schools and model
farms in 10 Provinces) 113,686 64
General Expenses of Public Instru