Philippine Nautical School

Title

extracted text

PHILIPPINE NAUTICAL SCHOOL. By Carl Ryof.ll, Instructor. In response to a long-felt need for trained nautical men in the Philippines the Philippine Nautical School was established in the year 1913 as a part of the Philippine School of Arts and Trades. The school occupies the old trade-school building on Arroceros. Some eight years earlier there had been such a school but it was discontinued on account of a lack of boats upon which the students could get the necessary practical ex perience. Considering its equipment and the limited advantages open to the students the school has done good work, but the facilities are not such as to meet the needs of the Philippines. No beginning class was admitted this year because of the small number of boats on which the students can get training. The course provides for two years in school and eighteen months of actual service on the water. At the end of this time, if the student can pass an officer’s examination he is given an officer’s license. It is too early yet to judge of the results of the training given those students who have been taking the course. It is well to note, however, that of the twenty who took the prelim inary examination at the end of the school year 1913-14, all but one passed. So far as the theoretical part of the training goes, these students seem to have done well. As some of them had already had some experience they were given credit on the required eighteen months of experience. These graduates have already obtained their officer’s licenses. A roster of the class shows that they are practically all employed on interisland boats at good salaries. Others who graduated later have been promised licenses as soon as they can pass the required examination. There is no doubt about the great need of well-trained mariners in the Philippines. Practically all of the trade of the Islands has to be carried on by water and the Islands should not have to depend upon foreign vessels to carry all of the commerce. Just as the need of men is great, so is there a need for these men to be well trained. Other countries are preparing men who expect to follow a seafaring life and if the Philippine 197 198 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN Government does not give an opportunity to those who wish to prepare themselves to do this work the Islands will not be able to compete successfully with these other countries. The life that opens to a man who is well trained for an officer’s place on a ship is an interesting one. The ship’s master ranks well with the business man or with the professional man and his experiences are generally more varied. He has an oppor tunity to travel and to observe the manners, customs, and business methods in many parts of the world. A man to be successful as ship’s master must be an intelligent man to begin with. There are many things that he has to learn very thoroughly in a limited space of time while in training, and once he has been put in command of a vessel he has a great deal of responsibility. In the course of a year he has under his charge millions of pesos worth of cargo and thousands of lives. He has to meet people of all classes and under all kinds of circumstances. Often he has to be very diplomatic in order not to lose big sums of money for his employers. With this need before the people of the Philippines and with the natural disposition of so many young men drawing them toward a seafaring life it seems imperative that more adequate facilities be provided for the Philippine Nautical School so that its usefulness may be increased. FARMING IS THE BEST. William Jennings Bryan gives eight good reasons why young men should chose farming in preference to the other occupations and professions. Here they are: “(1) Farming is the most independent way of living; (2) less capital is required to start farming than to enter any other independent business; (3) all members of the family can participate in some way in the work of the farm; (4) farm life is healthful; (5) farming develops useful habits of industry and application; (6) the farm provides the most wholesome environment for growing children; (7) farm life teaches the true philosophy that labor is honorable and worthy of reward; (8) the farmer is the most independent factor in our political life.”—Journal of Education.

Date

1916

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Media