Tadaoan, P. M. (1953). A critical study of the...
Tadaoan, P. M. (1953). A critical study of the educational problems of the non-
Christian tribes of the Mountain Province. (Unpublished master’s thesis).
Baguio City: University of the Philippines.
Physical location: University of the Cordilleras Library, Baguio City
ABSTRACT
It will be recalled that the purpose of this study was to determine the
educational problems of the non-Christian of the Mountain Province and to
identify the strength and weaknesses of present educational policies in that
region. Such an approach would logically indicate the areas where reforms are
needed as well as the curricular innovations which must be introduced if
education is to yield the greatest possible benefits. The suggestions which are
here offered have evolved from the survey. They are directed towards the
implementation of programs of the “Community School,” a new trend in
education. For convenience, the suggestions are grouped under various
headings.
A. The teaching of Cultural Subjects
1. In planning for the “Program of Education for Better Living in the Rural
Areas,” particularly for the Mountain Province, the direct approach for
educating the community is recommended. In such an approach the
school activities involve community problems. The community
participates in the planning of school activities. In brief, the school
becomes the center of school and community activities - all of which
are directed toward improvement of the community. This method is a
deviation from the traditional approach in which classroom instructions
do not emphasized the community needs. The curriculum is indirectly
used as a means of educating the community.
2. The use of the direct approach would necessitate the reorientation of
all the teachers in the Mountain Division on the new methods of
teaching because the methods require a deviation from the traditional
practice of teaching.
3. the teachers assigned in each community should compose a group
and conduct local investigations for the purpose of discovering the
good customs, mores, and taboos of the community. The teacher must
know those phases of culture which must be discarded, those that can
be redirected, and those that can be adopted as part of the teaching
materials.
4. The Division Office must perform the function of coordinating the
various results of investigation and of publishing them for the general
information of teachers assigned in the Mountain Division.
5. The Distribution of teachers in the Division should be such that one-
half of the teachers assigned in the municipality will be natives. While
the rest may come from the lowland population. The program of
integrating the non-Christian culture would be difficult without teachers
who are familiar with the customs.
6. The teacher must emphasize the desirable aspects of native culture
and subordinate unfamiliar and foreign practices.
7. In the preparation of local materials for incorporation in the courses of
study, the biographies of local and successful men must be included in
addition to those of the great Filipino leaders.
B. Vocational Education
1.
In the teaching of handicraft arts, it is necessary to utilize the locally-
made articles as a basis for project work. The purpose is to teach
the pupils how to improve the articles and equipment which they
actually use in their homes.
2.
In the teaching of gardening, there is a need for close cooperation
between the Bureau of Plant Industry and the public schools.
Training in seed selection, crop rotation, and the introduction of
new varieties of farm crops should be one of the concerns of
agricultural education in the communities. This would be difficult for
the school authorities without the technical help of the Bureau of
Plant Industry.
3.
In the areas where rice growing or vegetable gardening are the chief
industries of the people, the emphasis on agricultural education
should be along those lines. The school should be more functional
in the teachings by improving directly the primitive native ways of
farming.
4.
The Mountain National Agricultural School should offer training which
fully meets the needs of the province. The school has already
enriched its curriculum to fulfill the needs of the student and the
province; however, there is still room for improvement.
It is necessary to emphasize the study and culture of fruit-
growing. Fruit-growing is a promising industry which suits the
hilly topography of the province, but is still largely
undeveloped. After graduation the student can help to
develop the industry to the point of profitable productivity by
the application of scientific techniques.
There is a need for a placement program as a means for
following up the graduates of the school by guiding them to
acquire agricultural public land in unoccupied regions of
Apayao and other places of the province.
There is a need for elevating the special secondary normal
course to the college level in order that the teacher -
graduates can satisfy the requirements of the Bureau of
Public Schools. Undoubtedly, the best teachers for the
improvement of community living especially those in
agricultural areas are those who have taken a combined
course in agriculture and in teaching.
C. The Teaching of Sanitation
1.
There is a need for closer cooperation between the schools and the
agents of the Bureau of Health, and for the active participation of the
community. Within the non-Christian communities, the work of the
school must not be limited to the school children and the school
compounds. The non-Christian children in some communities are
filthy because they live in dirty homes or unwholesome surroundings.
2. The direct approach would be more effective than the use of the
traditional
curriculum as a means for improving the sanitary conditions of the
community. Inspections of the homes of the pupils can easily be done
by organizing the pupils into inspection teams.
3. The use of visual aids such as the microscope and educational films
will help
demonstrate to the people that the causes of disease are germs
which can be seen to eliminate the belief that sickness is due to the
spirit of the dead and of the mountains.
D. The Promotion of Literacy
1.
The medium of instruction side by side with the English language in
the primary grades should be the Ilocano dialect, because it is the
dialect that is commonly understood and widely spoken by the native
communities. The use of the Ilocano dialect would also make the
social studies more functional. The pupils who can not go any further
than the primary grades would then be able to read with interest and
facility the publications printed in the Ilocano dialects which are
available.
2.
The teaching of the national language should be introduced in the
intermediate grades, after the fundamentals of reading and wring
have been achieved.
3. In the formulation of the courses of study for the national language,
there is a need for a separate primer intended for non-Tagalog
speaking pupils like the non-Christian children who are learning the
language for the first time.
4.
The former compulsory education law should be revived to apply to
the non-Christian tribes. There is no problem of pupil accommodation
in the Mountain Division. It is therefore necessary to require every
child to complete the primary or intermediate grades in all places
where the grades are available. This would insure literacy among the
majority of future citizens.
E. Administration and Supervision
Many of the recommendations already stated relate to the
improvement of the administration and supervision of schools attended by
native children. The following can be added:
1. The area of each supervisory district should be reduced. Should this
be impossible then the elementary school principals in the central
schools should be given supervisory powers within their respective
areas.
2.
The former practice of American Division Superintendents of schools
of visiting all barrio schools of the province every year should be one
of the duties of the official concerned. The practice would guide him in
the formulation of school policies.
3.
The incomplete primary and intermediate schools which can produce
the minimum enrollment for an additional grade must be completed.
This would solve the problems of distance from school, low
percentage of attendance, overageness, low percentage of
promotions, and the low percentage of holding power of the Mountain
Division,
The suggestions offered are by no means complete.
However, they can be the starting points for more detailed and
extended programs for solving the educational problems of the Non-
Christian tribes of the Mountain Province.
F. Suggested Problems for Further Investigation
The “Community School” (the present trend in education) demands
investigations of community resources. Since this study did not cover all
phases of educational problems in the Mountain Province, it is suggested
that further investigation be undertaken by others on the following
problems:
1.
A critical analysis of folklore, legends, taboos, and similar customs of
each tribe, and determining those materials which may be
incorporated in the courses of study in school.
2.
Intensive study f the history of each cultural age of the non-Christian
tribes of the Mountain Province.
3.
Intensive study of dominant economic and social institutions found in
each tribe which influence the behavior of the people.
4.
The economic status of the people. This is important in order to
determine the capacity of the tribes to contribute to the support of the
school.
5.
A comparative evaluation of the results of instruction (achievement) in
the elementary grades, between the City of Baguio (schools attended
by children of lowland population) and schools in the province
attended by the children of the tribes.
6.
A critical analysis of the results of teaching the national language.
(The natives of the province did not have a knowledge of the
language before it was offered in school).
7. A study of the influence of the Ilocano dialect on each tribal tongue.
This would determine the practicability of adopting the Ilocano dialect
in the primary grades.
8.
A study to determine whether the courses in Industrial Arts offered in
each cultural area fit the needs of their daily handicraft activities.
9. A study of failures and retardation among the elementary school
children from the point of view of parents, teachers and pupils.
10. Job analysis in the Mountain Province. This would be an attempt to
determine possible occupations offering opportunities for young
people.
11. Other allied problems.
Christian tribes of the Mountain Province. (Unpublished master’s thesis).
Baguio City: University of the Philippines.
Physical location: University of the Cordilleras Library, Baguio City
ABSTRACT
It will be recalled that the purpose of this study was to determine the
educational problems of the non-Christian of the Mountain Province and to
identify the strength and weaknesses of present educational policies in that
region. Such an approach would logically indicate the areas where reforms are
needed as well as the curricular innovations which must be introduced if
education is to yield the greatest possible benefits. The suggestions which are
here offered have evolved from the survey. They are directed towards the
implementation of programs of the “Community School,” a new trend in
education. For convenience, the suggestions are grouped under various
headings.
A. The teaching of Cultural Subjects
1. In planning for the “Program of Education for Better Living in the Rural
Areas,” particularly for the Mountain Province, the direct approach for
educating the community is recommended. In such an approach the
school activities involve community problems. The community
participates in the planning of school activities. In brief, the school
becomes the center of school and community activities - all of which
are directed toward improvement of the community. This method is a
deviation from the traditional approach in which classroom instructions
do not emphasized the community needs. The curriculum is indirectly
used as a means of educating the community.
2. The use of the direct approach would necessitate the reorientation of
all the teachers in the Mountain Division on the new methods of
teaching because the methods require a deviation from the traditional
practice of teaching.
3. the teachers assigned in each community should compose a group
and conduct local investigations for the purpose of discovering the
good customs, mores, and taboos of the community. The teacher must
know those phases of culture which must be discarded, those that can
be redirected, and those that can be adopted as part of the teaching
materials.
4. The Division Office must perform the function of coordinating the
various results of investigation and of publishing them for the general
information of teachers assigned in the Mountain Division.
5. The Distribution of teachers in the Division should be such that one-
half of the teachers assigned in the municipality will be natives. While
the rest may come from the lowland population. The program of
integrating the non-Christian culture would be difficult without teachers
who are familiar with the customs.
6. The teacher must emphasize the desirable aspects of native culture
and subordinate unfamiliar and foreign practices.
7. In the preparation of local materials for incorporation in the courses of
study, the biographies of local and successful men must be included in
addition to those of the great Filipino leaders.
B. Vocational Education
1.
In the teaching of handicraft arts, it is necessary to utilize the locally-
made articles as a basis for project work. The purpose is to teach
the pupils how to improve the articles and equipment which they
actually use in their homes.
2.
In the teaching of gardening, there is a need for close cooperation
between the Bureau of Plant Industry and the public schools.
Training in seed selection, crop rotation, and the introduction of
new varieties of farm crops should be one of the concerns of
agricultural education in the communities. This would be difficult for
the school authorities without the technical help of the Bureau of
Plant Industry.
3.
In the areas where rice growing or vegetable gardening are the chief
industries of the people, the emphasis on agricultural education
should be along those lines. The school should be more functional
in the teachings by improving directly the primitive native ways of
farming.
4.
The Mountain National Agricultural School should offer training which
fully meets the needs of the province. The school has already
enriched its curriculum to fulfill the needs of the student and the
province; however, there is still room for improvement.
It is necessary to emphasize the study and culture of fruit-
growing. Fruit-growing is a promising industry which suits the
hilly topography of the province, but is still largely
undeveloped. After graduation the student can help to
develop the industry to the point of profitable productivity by
the application of scientific techniques.
There is a need for a placement program as a means for
following up the graduates of the school by guiding them to
acquire agricultural public land in unoccupied regions of
Apayao and other places of the province.
There is a need for elevating the special secondary normal
course to the college level in order that the teacher -
graduates can satisfy the requirements of the Bureau of
Public Schools. Undoubtedly, the best teachers for the
improvement of community living especially those in
agricultural areas are those who have taken a combined
course in agriculture and in teaching.
C. The Teaching of Sanitation
1.
There is a need for closer cooperation between the schools and the
agents of the Bureau of Health, and for the active participation of the
community. Within the non-Christian communities, the work of the
school must not be limited to the school children and the school
compounds. The non-Christian children in some communities are
filthy because they live in dirty homes or unwholesome surroundings.
2. The direct approach would be more effective than the use of the
traditional
curriculum as a means for improving the sanitary conditions of the
community. Inspections of the homes of the pupils can easily be done
by organizing the pupils into inspection teams.
3. The use of visual aids such as the microscope and educational films
will help
demonstrate to the people that the causes of disease are germs
which can be seen to eliminate the belief that sickness is due to the
spirit of the dead and of the mountains.
D. The Promotion of Literacy
1.
The medium of instruction side by side with the English language in
the primary grades should be the Ilocano dialect, because it is the
dialect that is commonly understood and widely spoken by the native
communities. The use of the Ilocano dialect would also make the
social studies more functional. The pupils who can not go any further
than the primary grades would then be able to read with interest and
facility the publications printed in the Ilocano dialects which are
available.
2.
The teaching of the national language should be introduced in the
intermediate grades, after the fundamentals of reading and wring
have been achieved.
3. In the formulation of the courses of study for the national language,
there is a need for a separate primer intended for non-Tagalog
speaking pupils like the non-Christian children who are learning the
language for the first time.
4.
The former compulsory education law should be revived to apply to
the non-Christian tribes. There is no problem of pupil accommodation
in the Mountain Division. It is therefore necessary to require every
child to complete the primary or intermediate grades in all places
where the grades are available. This would insure literacy among the
majority of future citizens.
E. Administration and Supervision
Many of the recommendations already stated relate to the
improvement of the administration and supervision of schools attended by
native children. The following can be added:
1. The area of each supervisory district should be reduced. Should this
be impossible then the elementary school principals in the central
schools should be given supervisory powers within their respective
areas.
2.
The former practice of American Division Superintendents of schools
of visiting all barrio schools of the province every year should be one
of the duties of the official concerned. The practice would guide him in
the formulation of school policies.
3.
The incomplete primary and intermediate schools which can produce
the minimum enrollment for an additional grade must be completed.
This would solve the problems of distance from school, low
percentage of attendance, overageness, low percentage of
promotions, and the low percentage of holding power of the Mountain
Division,
The suggestions offered are by no means complete.
However, they can be the starting points for more detailed and
extended programs for solving the educational problems of the Non-
Christian tribes of the Mountain Province.
F. Suggested Problems for Further Investigation
The “Community School” (the present trend in education) demands
investigations of community resources. Since this study did not cover all
phases of educational problems in the Mountain Province, it is suggested
that further investigation be undertaken by others on the following
problems:
1.
A critical analysis of folklore, legends, taboos, and similar customs of
each tribe, and determining those materials which may be
incorporated in the courses of study in school.
2.
Intensive study f the history of each cultural age of the non-Christian
tribes of the Mountain Province.
3.
Intensive study of dominant economic and social institutions found in
each tribe which influence the behavior of the people.
4.
The economic status of the people. This is important in order to
determine the capacity of the tribes to contribute to the support of the
school.
5.
A comparative evaluation of the results of instruction (achievement) in
the elementary grades, between the City of Baguio (schools attended
by children of lowland population) and schools in the province
attended by the children of the tribes.
6.
A critical analysis of the results of teaching the national language.
(The natives of the province did not have a knowledge of the
language before it was offered in school).
7. A study of the influence of the Ilocano dialect on each tribal tongue.
This would determine the practicability of adopting the Ilocano dialect
in the primary grades.
8.
A study to determine whether the courses in Industrial Arts offered in
each cultural area fit the needs of their daily handicraft activities.
9. A study of failures and retardation among the elementary school
children from the point of view of parents, teachers and pupils.
10. Job analysis in the Mountain Province. This would be an attempt to
determine possible occupations offering opportunities for young
people.
11. Other allied problems.