CUBA.. The educational status of Cuba, at the time of the American intervention, was very simi lar to that of the other Spanish dependencies. There existed an excellent legal system. while the actual conditions were very deplorable. Such in terest as existed was in reference to higher educa tion, and admirable provisions were made for the more intelligent and wealthy classes, The Uni versity of Havana and a large nuinher of second ary schools under private or religious control had been attended by large numbers of this elass. The public schools were nominally free, but really de pended an the tuition of pupils, and consequently were patronized only by the well-to-do.
The system in force in 1899 was based on the law of 1805 as modified by that V ISSO. Every town Of rioo inhabitants was required to support one ebmentary school for boys, and one, though ineomplete, for girls; towns I if 2000 inhabitants, t WO schools for boys and two for girls: and for every 2000 increase in population there was to be one additional school for each sex. This additional number was to include private schools, though at least one third of all schools must be public. Sec ondary schools and kindergartens were provided for in cities of over 1000 population, and a normal school for the capital of eaell provinee. An ad mirable course of study was prescribed, but its actual administration and he text-books used were under the inspection of the Catholic clergy. At tendan•e on either public or private schools was compulsory for all Spanish children from ti to 9; the teachers in public schools were to be Span iards. However, the municipalities had ceased, if they had ever done so, to pay any particular atten tion to these laws: no funds were voted. teachers were not paid, and their meagre revenue was drawn largely from tuition. The per cent. of illiteracy under the American census taken in 1899 was 03.9 per cent. The latest Spanish school statis tics were for the year 189:3, two years previous to the outbreak of the last revolution. They show 35,000 children receiving instruction in the entire island in SOS schools. During the revolu tion most of these schools ceased to exist, if they had ever existed before. Those outside of provincial capitals and garrisoned towns were closed by order of the Governor-Gtmeral. The autonomous Government issued an edict reestab lishing the schools in 1898. but their actual con dition remained much as it was throughout the revolution at that time until a year after the American occupation, though there were said to about 200 schools with 4000 pupils throughout the whole tfn December 0, 1899, the American j\lilitary Governor issued an order reorganizing the ele mentary and secondary school system of the island. It provided that there should be a board of education in each municipality, with the mayor as president, who should appoint the other members, and that there should be one public school for boys and one for girls in every town of 500 inhabitants, the number increasing with the size of the town. In smaller towns 'incom plete' schools were to be established. It also provided for compulsory attendance, for the pay ment of tuition, for the inspection and superin tendence, for free text-books, and other details. The course of study was preseribed by the super intendent of schools. lay March, 1900, there were 3099 schools, with 3500 teachers and 130,000 pu pils. In the fall of 1901 there were 250,000 pupils, with almost 4000 teachers. :\lost of these chil dren are in the first three grades, though a very small number are far enough advanced for the work of the fourth and fifth grades. This fact indicates the deficient eimilitions existing before 1900, for the age of the pupil is no indication of his stage of advancement.
One important phase of the American influence was the improvement of the teaching body. Sum mer normal schools were founded, which for two years have furnished instruction to about 4000 teachers for a period of six weeks. During 1900 more than 1400 Cuban teachers attended the summer session of Ilarvard University, special provision having been made by that institution for their maintenance and instruction. Recogniz ing that permanent improN ement must come from c011-4:111t contact with more advanced sources outside the island, the Cuban is now supporting sixty women teachers at the State Normal School at New Paltz. N. V., the un derstanding that these teachers are to continue Their services in the public schools for a term of years upon their return. This plan has been se successful that it is now proposed to create thirty permanent scholarships of this character, the teachers to he chosen from all sections of the island for a two-yea• course. With a similar motive. the Cuban Educational Society, rcceiv ing its support from many prominent public officials and business and professional men of the United States. maintains some 40 or 50 youths in American colleges, With the expecta tion that they will return to advance the edu cational interests of the island. In similar ways more than 15)10 Cuban and Porto Rican boys arc now educated in the United States, all under obligation to return to their homes 011 completing their schooling. Another important phase of the work is the supply of school material and school buildings. There was not building on the island at the American intervention that had been constructed for or was used for public school purposes. There was little or no school furniture, and the books were of the most anti quated character. The American administration has devoted a great deal of effort and more than $400.000 to secure inhabitable school buildings. :More than 100,000 school desks and other appliances in proportion were pur chased and distributed throughout the island. Text-books of modern standards were prepared and published by order of the education de partment of the Government. and supplied for the first four grades throughout the island. The changes thus made will have a marked effect upon the illiteracy of the population ; and an edu cational system, modern in spirit and method, and almost universal in the opportunities it offers, was thus turned over to the Cuban people when they took charge of their own Government.
Two conditions are apt to interfere to some ex tent with any great development or even the maintenance of these standards. In the first place, all the American administrative func tionaries, save one, have been withdrawn, and po litical influence is apt to interfere to some extent. In the second place. the American administration devoted a larger proportion of the revenues of the Government than the native direction pos sibly can; and the necessities for school expendi tures are apt to increase more rapidly than the wealth of the island. The excellent re sults so far produced may become permanent, however. if the efficiency of the schools is main tained even though their number decrease. For the fuller treatment of the educational status of all these islands. consult Report of the United States Commissioner of Education, 1898-99. and 1899-1900. Consult. also, special Report on Educational Nubjccts, vols. iv. and v., issued by the British Board of Education (London, 1901). See CUBA; HAWAII; PHILIPPINES ; PORTO IIICO.