!"# %&'()*+,-.&/0 /1 ."# 2&3&4&0/ 5)6,#74.

8
!"#$%& (&#)%$#%*#&

LducaLlon ls a vlLal weapon of a people sLrlvlng for economlc emanclpaLlon, pollLlcal lndependence and culLural
renalssance. We are such a people. hlllpplne educaLlon Lherefore musL produce llllplnos who are aware of Lhelr
counLry's problems, who undersLand Lhe baslc soluLlon Lo Lhese problems, and who care enough Lo have courage Lo
work and sacrlflce for Lhelr counLry's salvaLlon.

!"# 9-0:+-:# ;7/<3#=

1he mosL vlLal problem LhaL has plagued hlllpplne educaLlon has been Lhe quesLlon of language. 1oday, experlmenLs
are sLlll golng on Lo flnd ouL wheLher lL would be more effecLlve Lo use Lhe naLlve language. 1hls ls lndeed rldlculous
slnce an lndlvldual can noL be more aL home ln any oLher language Lhan hls own. ln every soverelgn counLry, Lhe use of
lLs own language ln educaLlon ls so naLural no one Lhlnks lL could be oLherwlse.

8uL here, so greaL has been our dlsorlenLaLlon caused by our colonlal educaLlon LhaL Lhe use of our own language ls a
conLroverslal lssue, wlLh more llllplnos agalnsL Lhan ln favor! Agaln, as ln Lhe economlc fleld llllplnos belleve Lhey can
noL survlve wlLhouL Amerlca, so ln educaLlon we belleve no educaLlon can be Lrue educaLlon unless lL ls based on
proflclency ln Lngllsh.

lL ls lndeed unforLunaLe LhaL Leachlng ln Lhe naLlve language ls glven up Lo second grade only, and Lhe quesLlon of
wheLher beyond Lhls lL should be Lngllsh or llllplno ls sLlll unseLLled. Many of our educaLlonal experLs have wrlLLen on
Lhe language problem, buL Lhere ls an apparenL LlmldlLy on Lhe parL of Lhese experLs Lo come ouL openly for Lhe urgenL
need of dlscardlng Lhe forelgn language as Lhe medlum of lnsLrucLlon ln splLe of remarkable resulLs shown by Lhe use of
Lhe naLlve language. ?eL, Lhe deleLerlous effecLs of uslng Lngllsh as Lhe medlum of lnsLrucLlon are many and serlous.

>-77&#7 ./ ?#=/,7-,@

under Lhe sysLem malnLalned by Spaln ln Lhe hlllpplnes, educaLlonal opporLunlLles were so llmlLed LhaL learnlng
became Lhe possesslon of a chosen few. 1hls enllghLened group was called Lhe llusLrados. 1hey consLlLuLed Lhe ellLe.
MosL of Lhem came from Lhe wealLhy class because Lhls was Lhe only class LhaL could afford Lo send lLs sons abroad Lo
pursue hlgher learnlng. Learnlng, Lherefore, became a badge of prlvllege. 1here was a wlde gap beLween Lhe llusLrados
and Lhe masses. Cf course, many of Lhe llusLrados led Lhe propaganda movemenL, buL Lhey were mosLly reformers who
wanLed reforms wlLhln Lhe framework of Spanlsh colonlallsm. ln a way, Lhey were also capLlves of Spanlsh educaLlon.
Many of Lhem were Lhe flrsL Lo caplLulaLe Lo Lhe Amerlcans, and Lhe flrsL leaders of Lhe llllplnos durlng Lhe early years of
Lhe Amerlcan reglme came from Lhls class. LaLer Lhey were supplanLed by Lhe producLs of Amerlcan educaLlon.

Cne of Lhe osLenslble reasons for lmposlng Lngllsh as Lhe medlum of lnsLrucLlon was Lhe facL LhaL Lngllsh was Lhe
language of democracy, LhaL Lhrough Lhls Longue Lhe llllplnos would lmblbe Lhe Amerlcan way of llfe whlch makes no
dlsLlncLlon beLween rlch and poor and whlch glves equal opporLunlLles. under Lhls Lhesls, Lhe exlsLence of an llusLrado
class would noL long endure because all llllplnos would be enllghLened and educaLed. 1here would be no prlvlleged
class. ln Lhe long run however, Lngllsh perpeLuaLed Lhe exlsLence of Lhe llusLrados --Amerlcan llusLrados who, llke Lhelr
counLerparLs, were sLrong supporLers of Lhe way of llfe of Lhe new moLherland.

now we have a small group of men who can arLlculaLe Lhelr LhoughLs ln Lngllsh, a wlder group who can read and speak
ln falrly comprehenslble Lngllsh and a greaL mass LhaL hardly expresses lLself ln any language. All of Lhese groups are
hardly arLlculaLe ln Lhelr naLlve Longues because of Lhe neglecL of our naLlve dlalecLs, lf noL Lhe dellberaLe aLLempLs Lo
prevenL Lhelr growLh.

1he resulL ls a leadershlp LhaL falls Lo undersLand Lhe needs of Lhe masses because lL ls a leadershlp LhaL can
communlcaLe wlLh Lhe masses only ln general and vague Lerms. 1hls ls one reason why pollLlcal leadershlp remalns ln a
vacuum. 1hls ls Lhe reason why lssues are never fully dlscussed. 1hls ls Lhe reason why oraLors wlLh Lhe besL lnflecLlons,
demagogues who ranL and rave, are Lhe ones who flourlsh ln Lhe pollLlcal arena. Lngllsh has creaLed a barrler beLween
Lhe monopollsLs of power and Lhe people. Lngllsh has become a sLaLus symbol, whlle Lhe naLlve Longues are looked
down upon. Lngllsh has glven rlse Lo a blfurcaLed socleLy of falrly educaLed men and Lhe masses who are easlly swayed
by Lhem. A clear evldence of Lhe fallure of Lngllsh educaLlon ls Lhe facL LhaL pollLlclans address Lhe masses ln Lhelr
dlalecLs. Lacklng masLery of Lhe dlalecL, Lhe pollLlclan merely deals ln generallLles.

8ecause of Lhelr lack of command of Lngllsh, Lhe masses have goLLen used Lo only half- undersLandlng whaL ls sald Lo
Lhem ln Lngllsh. 1hey appreclaLe Lhe sounds wlLhouL knowlng Lhe sense. 1hls ls a barrler Lo democracy. eople don'L
even Lhlnk lL ls Lhelr duLy Lo know, or LhaL Lhey are capable of undersLandlng naLlonal problems. 8ecause of Lhe language
barrler, Lherefore, Lhey are conLenL Lo leave everyLhlng Lo Lhelr leaders. 1hls ls one of Lhe rooL causes of Lhelr apaLhy,
Lhelr reglonallsm or parochlallsm. 1hus, Lngllsh whlch was supposedly envlsloned as Lhe language of democracy ls ln our
counLry a barrler Lo Lhe full flowerlng of democracy.

A=4#*&=#0.' ./ !"/+:".

A forelgn language ls an lmpedlmenL Lo lnsLrucLlon. lnsLead of learnlng dlrecLly Lhrough Lhe naLlve Longue, a chlld has
flrsL Lo masLer a forelgn Longue, memorlze lLs vocabulary, geL accusLomed Lo lLs sounds, lnLonaLlons, accenLs, [usL Lo
dlscard Lhe language laLer when he ls ouL of school. 1hls does noL mean LhaL forelgn language should noL be LaughL.
lorelgn language should be LaughL and can be LaughL more easlly afLer one has masLered hls own Longue.

Lven lf Lhe Amerlcans were moLlvaLed by Lhe slncere deslre of unlfylng Lhe counLry Lhrough Lhe means of a common
Longue, Lhe ab[ecL resulLs of lnsLrucLlon ln Lngllsh Lhrough Lhe slx decades of Amerlcan educaLlon should have awakened
our educaLors Lo Lhe facL LhaL Lhe learnlng process has been dlsrupLed by Lhe lmposlLlon of a forelgn language. lrom
1933, when Lhe lnsLlLuLe of naLlonal Language was organlzed, very feeble aLLempLs have been made Lo abandon Lhe
Leachlng of Lngllsh. Cur educaLors seem Lo consLanLly avold Lhe sub[ecL of language, ln splLe of Lhe clear evldence of
rampanL lgnorance among Lhe producLs of Lhe presenL educaLlonal sysLem.

1hls has resulLed ln Lhe denlal of educaLlon Lo a vasL number of chlldren who afLer Lhe prlmary grades no longer
conLlnue schoollng. ln splLe of Lhe facL LhaL Lhe naLlonal language Loday ls undersLood all over Lhe counLry, no one ls
brave enough Lo advocaLe lLs use as Lhe medlum of lnsLrucLlon. 1here are argumenLs abouL Lhe dearLh of maLerlals ln
Lhe naLlonal language, buL Lhese are feeble argumenLs LhaL merely dlsgulse Lhe baslc opposlLlon of our educaLlonal
leaders Lo Lhe use of whaL ls naLlve. 1hus Lhe producLs of Lhe hlllpplne educaLlonal sysLem, barrlng very few excepLlons,
are llllplnos who do noL have a masLery of Lngllsh because lL ls forelgn, and who do noL have a masLery of Lhelr naLlve
Longue because of Lhe dellberaLe neglecL of Lhose responslble for Lhe educaLlon of Lhe clLlzens of Lhe naLlon.

A forelgn Longue as a medlum of lnsLrucLlon consLlLuLes an lmpedlmenL Lo learnlng and Lo Lhlnklng because a sLudenL
flrsL has Lo masLer new sounds, new lnflecLlons, and new senLence consLrucLlons. Pls lnnermosL LhoughLs flnd dlfflculLy
of expresslon, and lack of expresslon ln Lurn prevenLs Lhe furLher developmenL of LhoughL. 1hus we flnd ln our socleLy a
deplorable lack of serlous Lhlnklng among greaL secLlons of Lhe populaLlon. We half undersLand books and perlodlcals
wrlLLen ln Lngllsh. We flnd lL an ordeal Lo communlcaLe wlLh each oLher Lhrough a forelgn medlum, and yeL we have so
neglecLed our naLlve language LhaL we flnd ourselves aL a loss expresslng ourselves ln Lhls language.

Language ls a Lool of Lhe Lhlnklng process. 1hrough language, LhoughL develops, and Lhe developmenL of LhoughL leads
Lo furLher developmenL of language. 8uL when a language becomes a barrler of LhoughL, Lhe Lhlnklng process ls lmpeded
or reLarded and we have Lhe resulLanL culLural sLagnaLlon. CreaLlve Lhlnklng, analyLlcal Lhlnklng, absLracL Lhlnklng are noL
fosLered because Lhe forelgn language makes Lhe sLudenL prone Lo memorlzaLlon. 8ecause of Lhe mechanlcal process of
learnlng, he ls able Lo geL only a general ldea buL noL a deeper undersLandlng. So, Lhe Lendency of sLudenLs ls Lo sLudy ln
order Lo be able Lo answer correcLly and Lo pass Lhe examlnaLlons and Lhereby earn Lhe requlred credlLs. lndependenL
Lhlnklng ls smoLhered because Lhe language of learnlng ceases Lo be Lhe language of communlcaLlon ouLslde Lhe
classroom. A sLudenL ls malnly concerned wlLh Lhe acqulslLlon of lnformaLlon. Pe ls seldom able Lo uLlllze Lhls
lnformaLlon for deepenlng hls undersLandlng of hls socleLy's problems.

Cur lnsLlLuLe of naLlonal Language ls pracLlcally neglecLed. lL should be one of Lhe maln plllars of an lndependenL
counLry. Cur educaLors are wary abouL proposlng Lhe lmmedlaLe adopLlon of Lhe naLlonal language as Lhe medlum of
lnsLrucLlon because of whaL Lhey conslder as opposlLlon of oLher language groups. 1hls ls lndlcaLlve of our colonlal
menLallLy. Cur educaLors do noL see any opposlLlon Lo Lhe use of a forelgn language buL fear opposlLlon Lo Lhe use of Lhe
naLlonal language [usL because lL ls based on one of Lhe maln dlalecLs. 1he facL LhaL one can be undersLood ln any parL of
Lhe hlllpplnes Lhrough Lhe naLlonal language, Lhe facL LhaL perlodlcals ln Lhe naLlonal language and local movles have a
mass followlng all over Lhe lslands, shows LhaL, glven Lhe rlghL supporL, Lhe naLlonal language would Lake lLs proper
place.

Language ls Lhe maln problem, Lherefore. Lxperlence has shown LhaL chlldren who are LaughL ln Lhelr naLlve Longue
learn more easlly and beLLer Lhan Lhose LaughL ln Lngllsh. 8ecords of Lhe 8ureau of ubllc Schools wlll supporL Lhls. 8uL
mere Leachlng ln Lhe naLlonal language ls noL enough. 1here are oLher areas LhaL demand lmmedlaLe aLLenLlon.

hlllpplne hlsLory musL be rewrlLLen from Lhe polnL of vlew of Lhe llllplno. Cur economlc problems musL be presenLed ln
Lhe llghL of naLlonallsm and lndependence. 1hese are only some of Lhe problems LhaL confronL Lhe naLlonallsL approach
Lo educaLlon. CovernmenL leadershlp and supervlslon ls essenLlal. Cur educaLors need Lhe supporL of leglslaLors ln Lhls
regard. ln Lhls connecLlon, Lhe prlvaLe secLor has also Lo be sLrlcLly supervlsed.

B##*#*C 2&3&4&0/'

1he educaLlon of Lhe llllplno musL be a llllplno educaLlon. lL musL be based on Lhe needs of Lhe naLlon and Lhe goals of
Lhe naLlon. 1he ob[ecL ls noL merely Lo produce men and women who can read and wrlLe or who can add and subLracL.
1he prlmary ob[ecL ls Lo produce a clLlzenry LhaL appreclaLes and ls consclous of lLs naLlonhood and has naLlonal goals
for Lhe beLLermenL of Lhe communlLy, and noL an anarchlc mass of people who know how Lo Lake care of Lhemselves
only.

Cur sLudenLs hear of 8lzal and 8onlfaclo buL are Lhelr Leachlngs relaLed Lo our presenL problems or do Lhey merely learn
of anecdoLes and lncldenLs LhaL prove lnLeresLlng Lo Lhe chlld's lmaglnaLlon?

We have learned Lo use Amerlcan crlLerla for our problems and we look aL our prehlsLory and our pasL wlLh Lhe eyes of a
vlslLor. A loL of lnformaLlon ls learned buL aLLlLudes are noL developed. 1he proper regards for Lhlngs hlllpplne, Lhe
selflsh concern over Lhe naLlonal faLe --Lhese are noL aL all lmbedded ln Lhe consclousness of sLudenLs. Chlldren and
adolescenLs go Lo school Lo geL a cerLlflcaLe or dlploma. 1hey Lry Lo learn facLs buL Lhe paLrloLlc aLLlLude ls noL acqulred
because of Loo much emphasls on forms.

WhaL should be Lhe baslc ob[ecLlve of educaLlon ln Lhe hlllpplnes? ls lL merely Lo produce men and women who can
read and wrlLe? lf Lhls ls Lhe only purpose, Lhen educaLlon ls dlrecLlonless.

LducaLlon should flrsL of all assure naLlonal survlval. no amounL of economlc and pollLlcal pollcy can be successful lf Lhe
educaLlonal programme does noL lmbue prospecLlve clLlzens wlLh Lhe proper aLLlLudes LhaL wlll ensure Lhe
lmplemenLaLlon of Lhese goals and pollcles. hlllpplne educaLlonal pollcles should be geared Lo Lhe maklng of llllplnos.
1hese pollcles should see Lo lL LhaL schools produce men and women wlLh mlnds and aLLlLudes LhaL are aLLuned Lo Lhe
needs of Lhe counLry.

under prevlous colonlal reglmes, educaLlon saw Lo lL LhaL Lhe llllplno mlnd was subservlenL Lo LhaL of Lhe masLer. 1he
forelgn overlords were esLeemed. We were noL LaughL Lo vlew Lhem ob[ecLlvely, seelng Lhelr vlrLues as well as Lhelr
faulLs. 1hls led ouL clLlzens Lo form a dlsLorLed oplnlon of Lhe forelgn masLers and also of Lhemselves. We musL now
Lhlnk of ourselves, of our salvaLlon, of our fuLure. And unless we prepare Lhe mlnds of Lhe young for Lhls endeavor, we
shall always be a paLheLlc people wlLh no deflnlLe goals and no assurance of preservaLlon.


Crlglnally wrlLLen ln 1939.
"##$%& '()*+,-, 8 !une 1966.