Education and Imperialism (Cristian)

Education was the preferred method of the United States for the implementation of colonial rule. The implementation of a system which “was not merely to create a passive populace sought by the military but rather to mold people who could be active participants in the American-style government and economy” (Paulet, 2007, p. 183). Today, American influence is alive and thriving, especially in the university setting. How has the educational system forced on Filipinos changed their way of life and the way they see themselves?

According to Paulet (2007), children were taught how to be civilized, especially by teaching the young girls what a civilized home should look like inside and out; thus, “proper” cooking and cleaning were part of the curriculum during this time (p. 195). Interestingly enough, although we never saw a home’s interior, many of the houses in Bohol were modeled in the western style. One of our classmates pointed out that advertisement was not as pervasive in Bohol as it was in Manila and Baguio but it was just easy to get sucked into the tourist experience. Indeed, my eyes were glossed over during most of our trip to Bohol until I saw a man crossing one of the suspended bridges with his dog which we had paid to cross as an attraction. This is when I realized that what was a tourist attraction to us was some else’s life. I was reminded that the United States used education as “a means of inculcating the indigenous populace with American values, thereby enabling them to accept American control and intervention” (2007, p. 193) Yet, I could not help but think that maybe the inhabitants had a façade for the tourist; a façade that they need not maintain in the privacy of their homes.  

Man walking home with his dog, Bohol.

 

One of the most noticeable contrasts between the metropolis and all of the towns we have traveled to throughout our stay in the Philippines has been the change of pace in lifestyle. It is something that can easily be mistaken or romanticized by outsiders and Filipino city dwellers. Constantino (1982) argues that “this idealized picture of farm life never emphasizes the poverty, the disease, the cultural vacuum, the sheer boredom, the superstition and ignorance of backward farm communities” is a portrait that is being painted by the history books for young Filipinos (p. 182). Although this portrait addresses the minimal medical intervention and low income living, these words should be read with caution as they make assumptions and very broad generalizations about farm life. According to Constantino (1982) the American education system is still at work in the Philippines but the problem with this is that "the gap between the two societies is very large. In fact, they are two entirely different societies with different goals" (p. 184). So why are Filipinos trying to adopt the colonizers language during today?

During our visit to Ateneo de Manila University we found out that the new educational system in the Philippines is getting rid of Filipino classes or making them optional. When asked if this change would mean the death of native languages Dr. Campomanes responded that he was not worried about the languages “dying off.” According to him, groups like the Ilocano do not have to sacrifice their native language with the standardization of English because he sees people making conscious choices every day to speak their native tongues. When asked why English was chosen over Filipino some of the professors pointed out that Tagalog was chosen by default became logistically the Tagalog speaking provinces led the revolution against the Spaniards and the Americans, but it is not representative of the population. Constantino (1982), on the other hand, is making the argument that language must be standardized to create a strong nation state but he believes it should be the native language not the language of the oppressor (p.186). The problem with standardization remains intact: imposing English or Tagalog onto the population ignores the linguistic diversity of the islands. Language poses one of the biggest challenges for scholars today. 

University of Santo Tomas, the first westernized educational institution in Asia.

Constantino, R. (1982). Miseducation of Pilipinos. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francis, Vestiges of war. pp.  

     177-192. New York: New York Press.

David, E.J.R., & Okazaki, S. (2006). The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino Americans: Scale 

construction and psychological implications: A review and recommendation. Journal of Counseling 

     Psychology 53 (1), pp. 1-16.

Paulet, A. (2007). To change the world: The use of American Indian education in the Philippines. History of 

     Educational Quarterly, 47(2), 173-202.