Resolutions of the Industrial Conference

Media

Part of The Philippine Craftsman

Title
Resolutions of the Industrial Conference
Language
English
Year
1916
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
RESOLUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE. The annual industrial conference met at Baguio from May 1 to May 5, 1916. It was attended by division superintend­ ents, industrial supervisors, and teachers. There was a notable increase in the attendance of Filipino teachers. The conference serves as a clearinghouse for ideas on industrial topics, and the suggestions there made have had much to do with shaping the industrial policy of the Bureau. The gist of this year’s resolu­ tions is here given. GENERAL POLICY. The object of industrial instruction in the Philippines is not merely to establish household industries, but also to raise the standard of living in the homes. Local sales of industrial products should be encouraged as much as possible; but all divisions should supply the General Office of the Bureau of Education with articles at wholesale prices in order that all may share the burden which is placed on this Bureau, and in order that commercial direction of in­ dustrial instruction may be secured. Provinces should not reimburse the General Office of the Bu­ reau of Education for such assistance in industrial work as may be included under the head of designs, blue prints, perforated patterns, models, and the services of traveling industrial teachers. Pupils should receive a fixed price for the articles they pro­ duce; quality should be considered; when articles are sold at retail for a higher price than usual, the surplus of the principal should be deposited in pupils’ funds. CONTROL OF THE GENERAL OFFICE. The control of wholesale prices in sales should rest with the General Office. Forms 80 to 84 are satisfactory, but form 83 is difficult to accomplish and contains little of value to the field. It should be called for at rare intervals. In order to guard against orders that would hamper the work in the field, acceptance of orders should be left to the division offices except in very rare cases. 294 RESOLUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE 295 Forms 70 to 80 call for data which are as near an estimate as can be made of industrial school production of a division for any one year. It is impossible to estimate the products of households. Only first quality products should be demanded from school and household. A minimum price should be placed on all salable products that are up to standard, and when these articles are not salable in Manila, they should be returned to the division for sale or for disposal to the pupils at cost of material. In most provinces, profits from the sale of industrial products should meet the expenses of provincial industrial departments as provided by Act No. 2629. All profits possible should accrue to the division. The cost of freight should be included in wholesale prices so that divisions near Manila can profit thereby while those at a distance will not lose by the arrangement. Much study will be required before the necessary forms and instructions for proper administration of the sales department can be formulated. The General Office is best prepared to do this work. Commercial practices should be followed in so far as possible and the number of forms be reduced to the minimum consistent with efficient administration. Form V-A should be eliminated and all reimbursements for industrial products be made on Form 154. Provincial industrial departments should carry a model stock department. A credit term of at least three months should be given pro­ vincial industrial departments for materials; schools, at least two months; workers, not to exceed one and one half months. The distribution of materials from the General Office would be more satisfactory to the field, than the distribution from the Bureau of Supply. INDUSTRIAL CENTERS. Any one capable of doing the work should be allowed to join industrial centers. Organizers and leaders should be selected from the most capable workers, regardless of how they have been trained. Adults can best be interested by having a convenient center where materials can be secured readily, by receiving cash pay­ ment for articles delivered, and by being allowed to do the work in their homes. The present system of accounting for articles sent from a 296 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN barrio school to a division office, and from a division office to the General Office is not satisfactory. All articles should be invoiced by tag number in order to prevent confusion in the distribution of money received from sales. Changes in prices as entered on Form 151-B cause trouble for teachers keeping these records, and therefore the total cost of articles should not be entered on this form in ink until the articles are sold. The present system of industrial accounting cannot be applied successfully to household production, but a card similar to Form 152 might be used as a record of individual work. Until a leader can be secured to handle the work, principal teachers should be used to represent the division office in dealing with household workers. In order to provide for immediate payment for articles, money should be appropriated from pro­ vincial funds for the use of division industrial departments, the amounts so advanced to be determined by the need of each individual province. Not more than 50 per cent of the funds available for the use of the provincial industrial department should be tied up in stock for which no specific orders have been received. The division industrial force can be relied upon for the com­ mercial inspection of industrial articles. In accepting orders from firms, the Bureau of Education should safeguard itself by requesting a bond or cash deposit. The Bureau should not be bound to deliver goods at any specified time. Estimates of outputs should be low enough to make them reliable. Offices and parties receiving materials should be responsible for all materials furnished. The School of Household Industries should be closed, and the traveling industrial force of the Bureau of Education be in­ creased for the purpose of establishing centers directly in towns. AGRICULTURE AND GARDENING. Agricultural clubs should be organized for boys and girls in localities where agricultural schools are located. In case these clubs are widely extended in the different provinces, special supervisors should be appointed. Girls can participate in these clubs by preserving and canning fruit, raising poultry, and caring for flower gardens. The active participation of farmers can best be secured by RESOLUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE 297 developing the country fair idea. Garden days are worth while because of the interest they stimulate in agriculture. The most desirable home projects for farm schools are the raising of chickens and live stock. Fruit tree growing can best be encouraged by the proper supervision of plants given out from school nurseries. All school-ground improvements should be by pupils, if possible. Home-ground improvement should be encouraged rather than required. A part of the intermediate-school garden should be set aside for the cultivation of industrial plants, and for experimenting with new plants as a regular part of industrial work. PLAIN SEWING. In the first grade practical work, as well as exercises, should be included. In the third grade the pupils should make children’s clothes, and in the fourth grade each girl should make garments to fit herself. All primary schools having third and fourth grades should be provided with sewing machines. The Bureau should furnish uniform perforated patterns for garments to be made in schools. A practical course in dressmaking should be introduced in the intermediate grades. COOKING. The teaching of cooking is impracticable in Grade III. More attention should be paid to the carrying out of the prescribed course in cooking for Grade IV. The course in cooking should emphasize cleanliness, neatness, economy, and the use in the homes of those recipes which are found to be most practicable. For the purpose of directly affecting the homes, girls should be required to cook in their homes and bring to the classroom dishes thus prepared. They should prepare dinners at the do­ mestic-science building, and invite their parents. In cooking contests, prizes should be given to the pupils showing the best results with dishes made after recipes learned in school and prepared at home. EMBROIDERY, LACE AND CROCHET. The English system of measurement should be used in con­ nection with exportation to the United States; but the metric system should always be noted. Greater care should be exercised in divisions in carrying out 144041-----5 298 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN instructions of the technical bulletin relative to the making and the putting up of commercial embroidery, lace, and crochet. In their visits to all central, primary, and intermediate schools, supervising teachers and division industrial supervisors should inspect the files of technical bulletins, and they should find out whether or not the teachers read them. Lace and embroidery workers should be so seated that their feet rest naturally on the floor. The desks should be neither too high nor too low. Special equipment is required for the most efficient work. BASKETRY, HATS, AND SLIPPERS. In the larger intermediate schools, part of the pupils should be permitted to do experimental work with designs and mate­ rials, provided that it can be done under the direction of a capable teacher and that all results of such work be passed upon by the General Office before being adopted by the school. Too many designs are being used. Fewer designs and better workmanship should be required. The elimination of designs should be based upon a thorough knowledge of market condi­ tions. The number of designs for industrial articles should be reduced to a minimum. No attempt should be made to compete with Japanese prod­ ucts. Only articles of entirely different design, and of such quality that they will stand in a class by themselves, should be made. The prices of industrial articles should not be lowered. If satisfactory prices cannot be secured for certain articles the production of them should be stopped. DIVISION NORMAL INSTITUTES. In divisions where industrial instruction is well advanced, one half of the time of a division normal institute should be devoted to academic instruction, and the remaining half to in­ dustrial and athletic activities. Designs should be approved for divisions for only such articles as are marketable or have instructive value. PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN. During the past year The Philippine Craftsman has been greatly improved in making it a paper which can be read to advantage by Filipino teachers. Its popularity might be further increased by the addition of a personal or a service column, and RESOLUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE 29$ a column for provincial items, consisting of short, interesting notes, preferably submitted by division industrial supervisors. The subjects recently sent to the field for comment are good, but, in addition, topics dealing with the preparation of materials should be included. The “central thought idea” is good and should be followed. TRADE SCHOOLS AND MUNICIPAL SHOPS. The building course was recommended, though difficulty was anticipated in the securing of work for those who take it. Wherever a market for the product can be found, a course in ironwork should be included in trade schools. At the present time the output of trade schools is largely dependent upon cooperation between the officers of the trade school, the provincial treasurer, the district engineer, and the division superintendent. In larger trade schools having a sufficient output of work, teachers should be placed on an accrued leave basis, but in smaller schools not operating during the vacation, the vacation system is better. The object of municipal shopwork should be to turn out boys who have a basic knowledge of the elementary principles of good work. The best results can be obtained by adhering closely to the outline of the course of study, and consequently the municipal shop should be maintained as a first-class shop and not as a second-class trade school. The manufacture of bamboo and rattan furniture should be encouraged in all provinces where materials are obtainable at moderate cost. MISCELLANEOUS. A graded industrial conversational English course is advis­ able in connection with the regular industrial period. The industries of the Philippines are not so complex, and competition is not so great as to require vocational guidance in the sense in which that expression is generally understood. Some kind of suitable industrial work may be provided for every pupil, however young or small, and a teacher who has only a moderate amount of initiative will find a way of adapt­ ing to his pupils the work provided for in the course of study. Gardening should be the industrial work required in barrio schools wherever practicable. During the time when garden­ ing cannot be carried on to advantage, as when the weather THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN is too wet or too dry or when a suitable site cannot be obtained for a garden, handicrafts should be taught. The system of grading industrial work for the year should be based on monthly or bimonthly grades just as in the case of academic work, the rating to be checked and verified by the principal, the supervising teacher, or the industrial supervisor. A general average of 75 per cent, based upon the monthly or bimonthly rating as provided herein, should be required for promotion in the case of each industrial subject in the several grades. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL INSTRUCTION. At the 1916 division superintendents’ convention at Baguio, the committee on industrial instruction made a report, which, with the exceptions indicated, was accepted. A resume of the report follows: TRADE SCHOOLS. Whenever possible pupils should be required to complete the primary woodworking course before taking the trade course. The building course should be extended to several of the trade schools, since the construction of wooden buildings is on the increase. This will necessitate builders. DOMESTIC SCIENCE. Cooking should be given in Grade IV where teachers, equip­ ment, and funds are available. The present cooking course in intermediate schools is satisfactory. The giving of plain sewing in barrios where there is a male teacher only will be dependent upon circumstances. In some cases excellent work has been done under these conditions. The expense of seventh-grade sewing for the average girl can be reduced by permitting the girl to make articles which are salable or which are of use to her own family. FARMING AND GARDENING. The extension of agricultural work, where local conditions warrant, is favored. The all-year-round gardens have worked out successfully. The present policy is approved in so far as it can be carried out. The type of settlement farm school can be successfully adapted to certain isolated Christian communities, provided funds from Insular or provincial sources are available. An initial expense of approximately P800 would be required in each case. The regular farm school is best adapted to the needs of the RESOLUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE 301 average community. Vacation should not be given in these schools. Arbor Day should be extended by general proclamation and special stress should be laid on the care of trees, when once they are planted. THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM. With reference to Act No. 2629, the convention did not agree with the opinion that little difficulty would be encountered in obtaining appropriations from provincial boards for division industrial departments. The General Office should formulate the necessary regulations for the administration of the new industrial departments. The provincial industrial departments will aid very mate­ rially in the development of household industries. Division industrial supervisors and certain industrial teachers should be placed on the accrued leave basis to assist in the operations of Act No. 2629. It is not believed practicable to extend the present industrial accounting system to household products. No data are available to determine the proper wage for pupils and household workers. Home industries should be made remunerative enough to be attractive. The control of production and merchandising of articles by the General Office was favored. The acceptance of orders should be left with the division office. Further commercialization of the present industrial courses was opposed. GENERAL. The industrial work for the boys should be made continuous through the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades—that is, boys taking woodwork in grade four should continue the same line of work in the fifth and sixth grades. The continuance of farm and trade schools during the long vacation for the purpose of offering to students who fail a second opportunity to pass official examinations was not favored. Where trade or farm schools normally continue in session dur­ ing the vacation, pupils should be allowed to attend and to take a second examination. A bill was recently introduced in the legislature of Massa­ chusetts increasing from 1*4,000 to 1*8,000 the state appropria­ tion to enable the state board of agriculture to stimulate agri­ cultural interest and activity among children and youths.