PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Thinking men and women, the world over, realize that the hope, security
and well being of the future lies in properly educating the children of
the present. From an educated community we have nothing to fear.
Mistakes in government policies may occur, but where intelligence
dwells, right and justice will soon prevail over wrong. Education to-day
is universally recognized as the most efficient and potent safeguard
against crime and lawlessness of all kind, and in no section of the
world is the need of general education more gravely manifest than in the
Latin-American Republics of the Western Hemisphere.
Education in all of these countries, from the beginning of their
existence as colonies of Spain, has been, unfortunately under the
control of the Church, and with the exception of Cuba, largely so
remains to-day. Even in this progressive little Republic, the clerical
influence on tuition, from the kindergarten to the university, is more
or less prevalent. The influence of the priest and the prelate, exerted
in the home, usually through the mother, still casts its shadow over
true educational progress, especially among those of the gentler sex.
There are, of course, many well educated women in Cuba, but they are
women whose intellectual longings and aspirations could not be held in
check.
True, some of the most brilliant men in Cuba have been pupils of church
institutions, but men of this stamp and minds of this calibre held from
birth all the promise and potency of greatness. Their intellectual
lights could not be hidden under the proverbial bushel.
In 1896 the population of the Island was 1,572,791, of whom 1,400,884
were unable to read, 33,003 knew how to read but not to write, while
19,158 had received the advantages of what was termed higher education.
Even this paucity of true knowledge was frequently superficial and sadly
warped by obsolete tradition.
When, at the beginning of American intervention, that generous and able
group of American officers under General Wood took charge of affairs in
Cuba, the need of even a rudimentary education among the untutored
masses was painfully apparent. A report of conditions prevailing was
forwarded to Washington. Secretary Root referred the matter to President
Eliot of Harvard, and as a result Mr. Alexis E. Frye was sent to Havana
to establish in Cuba the American school system, or one as nearly like
that in vogue in the United States as conditions would permit.
The selection of Mr. Frye was a wise one, and the people have never
ceased to be grateful for the admirable and unselfish efforts of that
remarkably clever teacher to place public instruction on a firm
foundation in Cuba. After going carefully over the ground and studying
the situation thoroughly Mr. Frye, working by candle light in a backroom
of the Hotel Pasaje, drafted the school law and wrote the rules and
regulations that today form the base of public instruction in the
island. Soon after, Mr. Frye was appointed Superintendent of Schools.
His salary was $400 a month, but every month’s pay check was divided
into eight parts and distributed among those schools where it would do
the most good. He would accept no recompense whatever for himself.
In the work of establishing a modern system of education in Cuba Mr.
Frye received valuable aid from a remarkably gifted and brilliant young
Cuban named Lincoln de Zayas. Dr. de Zayas was a descendant of one of
the most prominent families in Havana. He had been educated in the
United States, was graduated from the school of medicine of Columbia
University in New York, was a master of some five or six languages, and
knew the character of his own people. He assisted Mr. Frye in solving
many delicate problems and in overcoming troublesome obstacles, many of
which resulted from the former ecclesiastical control of everything
pertaining to education. Dr. Francisco Barrero, a writer, student and
poet, was made assistant director of education.
During the second year of American intervention, Mr. Frye interested
Harvard University in the subject of Cuban education. This finally
resulted in an invitation from that institution to a large body of
potential Cuban teachers to come to Boston and enjoy during the summer
months special instruction provided for them by the president and
faculty of the University. Through Mr. Frye’s efforts and those of
General Wood, then Military Governor of the Island, the Washington
government became interested in the school problem in Cuba, and through
the War Department furnished passage in one of the large American
transports for all teachers who cared to visit the United States in the
interest of Cuban education. Some 1600 teachers, mostly young ladies,
were selected from applicants in various parts of the Island, and
conveyed on the U.S. transport General McClellan to the city of Boston,
where they were comfortably lodged and cared for during a period of
three months as guests of Harvard University.
The direct educational benefit derived by these young Cuban teachers was
almost incalculable. A great majority of them had no knowledge whatever
of the English language, and knew but little of the outside world. The
press of Cuba in those days was limited in its fund of general
information or other matter that might be of educational value to the
reading public. Nor had education, especially among women, been
encouraged during the days of Spain’s control over the island.
The summer work at Harvard was a revelation. The educational seed fell
upon receptive soil, and the young teachers who were fortunate enough to
be selected as guests of that institution gave an excellent account of
themselves in work that followed during the early days of the Republic.
Incidentally Mr. Frye chose one of these young teachers as his companion
through life. After Mr. Frye’s departure, Lieut. Hanna, at the
suggestion of General Wood, made some changes and additions to the
public school system of Cuba, conforming it somewhat to the methods then
in vogue in the State of Ohio.
With the installation of the Cuban Republic in 1902 public instruction
came directly under the supervision of the Central or Federal
Government, and the Secretary of Public Instruction was made a member of
the President’s Cabinet, adding thus dignity and importance to that
branch of work on which the character of succeeding generations
depended. Unfortunately for the cause of education it has been found
rather difficult to separate the Department of Public Instruction from a
certain amount of political interference, which has tended to mar its
efficiency and retard progress.
With the beginning of the second Government of Intervention in 1906, Dr.
Lincoln de Zayas was made Secretary of Public Instruction under Governor
Magoon, and with his untiring devotion to the cause of true knowledge,
as well as his keen insight into the modern or more improved methods of
teaching, interest in public instruction in Cuba was greatly revived,
and English began to assume a far more important role in the primary and
grammar schools than in former days.
The services of an excellent teacher, Miss Abbie Phillips, of
California, was secured as General Superintendent of English throughout
the Republic, and under her direction was formed a corps of remarkably
competent Cuban women, who accomplished much in a short time towards
making the study of English in the public schools more popular than it
had been. With the death of Dr. de Zayas the cause of public instruction
seemed again partially to relapse into its former desuetude. Yet in
spite of the misfortune that thus befell it, the work has proceeded more
satisfactorily than might have been expected, owing to the strong
desire on the part of the youth of the Republic to learn, and to shake
off the fetters that had previously kept them in a kind of a respectable
ignorance.
During President Menocal’s administration the resignation of the
Secretary of Public Instruction gave opportunity for the selection and
appointment to that office of Dr. Dominguez Roldan, who has endeavored
to inject new life into the cause and to place this important branch of
the Government once more in a position that will command the respect,
not only of the people of Cuba, but also of the outside world. New
school houses, designed expressly for the purpose, are replacing the old
and inadequate buildings that were formerly rented. The study of
English, that had been discouraged by his predecessor, is being again
revived, and many steps in the cause of learning are being taken whose
wisdom will become evident in the near future.
In 1913, when Mario G. Menocal assumed the direction of the Government
of Cuba, there were but 262 schools in the island, while to-day there
are 1136, showing an increase of 1074; with 335,291 pupils attending. No
fewer than 1746 teachers have been appointed and added to the Department
of Public Instruction in Cuba. In addition to this two night schools
have recently been established, one in Santiago de Cuba and one in
Bayamo. Four kindergartens, or “School Gardens,” as they are now termed,
have recently been established in the Province of Santa Clara.
At the present time, throughout the Republic of Cuba, there is a total
of 5,685 teachers in the primary schools. Among these are included 116
teachers who render special service throughout the different sections of
the country, 19 teachers of night schools, 118 teachers devoted to
school gardens, 40 teachers of cutting and sewing, 26 teachers of
English, 21 of Sloyd, and 4 teachers devoted to instruction in jails. In
1915 a normal school, co-educational, was established in each of five of
the Provinces. Havana has two normal schools, one for boys and the
other for girls.
During the year 1918 a school of Domestic Economy, Arts and Sciences,
known as the “School of the Home,” was established. The object of this
school, as that of similar institutions, is to prepare the future wife
and mother so that she may be able to undertake in an intelligent manner
the direction of the home. Among the subjects taught are accounting,
domestic economy, moral and civic obligations, hygiene, the care of
infants and of the sick, cutting, sewing, dressmaking, basket-making,
and elementary physics and chemistry, which form the base of scientific
cooking. In addition to these, gardening, the care of animals, ordinary
and higher cooking are taught; also washing and ironing, dyeing, the
removing of stains, and the proper method of cleaning and taking care of
shoes. In order to make the school popular and to insure its success, a
society of patriotic and intelligent women has been formed, from which
much practical benefit is expected in the future.
In order to provide for and to permit the scientific development both
physical and mental of the Cuban youth, the Department of Public
Instruction has established a separate institution, with an experimental
annex, for the purpose of studying the eccentricities and aptitudes of
Cuban children.
The order of sequence of public instruction in Cuba, as previously
stated, has followed very largely that of the United States. The school
gardens are followed by primary and grammar schools, all suitably
graded, and the course of studies is more or less similar to that of the
United States.
The Institute of Havana, located for many years in the old convent
building just back of the Governor General’s Palace, occupies a place
between the grammar school and the University. The course of studies and
scope of this institution is similar to the average high school of
America. New buildings are being erected for the accommodation of the
several thousand boys and girls who attend the institute, and with its
removal to more commodious and congenial quarters, this important seat
of learning will be reorganized with greatly increased efficiency.
The National University of Havana was founded under the direction of
monks of the Dominican Order on January 5, 1728, and until the
installation of the Republic occupied the old convent that afterwards
served as the Institute. To-day the University of Havana can boast of
one of the most picturesque and delightful locations occupied by any
seat of learning in the world. It crowns the northeast corner of the
high plateau, overlooking the capital of the Republic from the west. Its
altitude is several hundred feet above the plain below, with the Gulf of
Mexico close by on the north and old Morro Castle standing at the
entrance of a beautiful harbor, that stretches out along the far eastern
horizon, sweeping afterwards toward the south. The city of Havana fills
the center of the picture, while in the immediate foreground nestle the
forests of the Botanical Gardens and the Quinto de los Molinos, or
summer residence of the former Spanish Governor Generals, with their
beautiful drives sweeping along the front and up to the crest of the
plateau.
The broad stone staircase at the entrance to the grounds is quite in
keeping with the dignity of the place and the numerous buildings devoted
to various departments of learning are harmonious in design and
commodious in appointment. A giant laurel, with an expanse of shade that
would protect a small army of men, occupied the center of an old
courtyard that once belonged to the fortifications commanding the
Principe Heights.
To these buildings will soon be added another to be known as the
National School of Languages, at a cost of $150,000. This edifice,
sumptuous in its appointments, will be dedicated largely to the
reciprocal study of Spanish and English. American students who wish to
perfect their knowledge of Spanish will be invited from the various
universities of the United States to visit Cuba, at stated periods of
the year, for the purpose of studying and improving their acquaintance
with this language through direct contact with the students and
professors of the University. The latter, on the other hand, will be
afforded an excellent opportunity to perfect their knowledge of English
by mingling with visiting students from the United States, and it is
believed that the result of acquaintances and friendships, formed in
this way, many of which will be sustained through life, will add greatly
to those bonds of friendship and mutual understanding that resulted from
America’s assistance to Cuba in her War for Independence, and that for a
thousand reasons should never be permitted to relapse or sink into
indifference.
The national or public library of Cuba, located in the Maestranza, one
of the most substantial of those old buildings that have come down from
the days of Spanish dominion, was founded during the first American
intervention by General Leonard Wood, on October 18, 1901. It is open to
the public every day of the week except Sunday, from 8 to 11 in the
morning and from 1 to 5 in the afternoon, except Saturday, when access
may be secured at any time between 8 and 12 in the morning.
The library contains at the present time about twenty thousand volumes.
This does not however include a great mass of pamphlets and unbound
manuscripts, documents, papers, etc., which form a valuable part of the
collection. These volumes are largely in Spanish, French and English,
and include all of the more important branches of human knowledge. Among
them may be found an excellent collection of the best encyclopedias and
dictionaries of those languages.
Its collection of American History is extensive; in addition to which
may be mentioned a valuable collection of works on international law,
given by the eminent jurist Dr. Antonio S. de Bustamante, who
represented the Republic of Cuba at the Peace Conference in Paris at
the conclusion of the Great War.
Among other gifts to the public library may be mentioned a series of
large, beautiful, artistic drawings in colors, that represent all that
is known of the Aztec and Toltec life existing in the Republic of Mexico
at the time of the Spanish Conquest in the early part of the 16th
century. These engravings have been drawn and colored with marvelous
care. They are assembled in the form of an atlas which permits close
study and makes one of the most interesting and valuable contributions
of this kind to be found in any part of the world. They were presented
to Cuba by General Porfirio Diaz, President of the Republic of Mexico.
Arrangements have been made to catalogue the volumes of the library. For
this purpose experts have been secured and the space amplified, and when
this work is completed, while the library will not offer the luxurious
quarters of institutions of its kind in other countries, it will be
useful and accessible to those who wish to avail themselves of its
services.