QuestionsQuestions (Act No. 74)
Act No. 74 created a Department of Public Instruction for the Philippine Islands, with its central office in the City of Manila.
Yes. Section 1 provides that all primary instruction in schools established or maintained under the Act shall be free.
They were declared to be in the Department of Public Instruction and made subject to the control of officers of that Department (Section 2).
The chief officer is the General Superintendent of Public Instruction, appointed by the Philippine Commission.
Examples include: (1) establishing schools in each pueblo when practicable and reorganizing existing ones (Sec. 3[a]); (2) dividing the archipelago into school divisions and fixing their boundaries (Sec. 3[e]); (3) fixing salaries within limits established by law (Sec. 3[c]); (4) fixing the curriculum and deciding where secondary schools shall be established (Sec. 3[d]).
Not more than ten (10) school divisions (Section 3[e]).
A superior advisory board of education composed of the General Superintendent and four appointed members. It must hold regular meetings once every two months, and special meetings as called (Section 4).
He must examine schoolhouses for suitability and hygienic condition (Sec. 9). If a schoolhouse appears unsuitable and dangerous for children’s health, and no other schoolhouse is available, he may discontinue the schoolhouse for public school purposes, subject to approval of the General Superintendent (Sec. 9).
Each municipality has a local school board of four or six members, plus the municipal president/alcalde as ex officio member (Sec. 10). Half (excluding the ex officio) are elected by the municipal council and the other half are appointed by the division superintendent (Sec. 10).
Two years, and until successors are duly elected or appointed (Section 10).
Yes. Appointed or elected members may be removed at any time by the division superintendent after due notice and hearing, subject to approval of the General Superintendent; the General Superintendent also has power to suspend temporarily (Section 11).
The English language shall, as soon as practicable, be made the basis of all public school instruction (Section 14). Soldiers may be detailed as instructors until replaced by trained teachers (Section 14).
Teachers cannot teach or criticize doctrines of churches/religious sects or attempt to influence pupils for or against any such group in public schools (Sec. 16). However, a priest or minister or designated religious teacher may teach religion for one half hour three times a week in the school building for pupils whose parents/guardians request in writing (Sec. 16). No pupil shall be required to attend (Sec. 16).
He or she shall, after due hearing, be dismissed from the public service (Section 16).
In Manila: (1) a Normal School to educate natives in the science of teaching (Sec. 17); (2) a Trade School to instruct natives in useful trades (Sec. 18). In Negros: a School of Agriculture (Sec. 19).
Forty thousand dollars (Section heading/appropriations for the year nineteen hundred and one). Additionally, Act No. 74 separately appropriates $25,000 for the Normal School (Sec. 22) and $15,000 for the Trade School (Sec. 23) for 1901.
Fifteen thousand dollars, in Section 24 (appropriation for organization and maintenance of the School of Agriculture for the year nineteen hundred and one).
Nothing in the Act forbids, impedes, or obstructs the establishment and maintenance of private schools (Section 25).
All sums of money mentioned in the Act are understood to be money of the United States (Section 26).