The Philippines: Past and Present (volume 2 of 2)

A primary document from the American colonial era, this volume chronicles the United States' ambitious effort to reshape Philippine society through education. Dean C. Worcester, who served as Secretary of the Interior in the Philippine government, offers an insider's account of the Bureau of Education's transformation of the islands' schools, contrasting American initiatives with what he characterizes as Spain's failing system. The narrative traces the establishment of public education, the push for vocational training, and the creation of teacher training institutions. Worcester's observations reveal both the scope of these reforms and the complexities of their reception among Filipino populations. Though written from a colonial administrator's perspective and reflecting the racial paternalism of its era, the work remains an essential window into how America conceptualized its role as educator and civilizer in the Pacific. For historians of empire, Philippine independence movements, and comparative education, this text provides indispensable source material about the assumptions and methods that shaped colonial schooling.